Aya Natoai Mimica
by OnBladedWings
Summary: Growing up on your own in Miyamah city isn't easy, even with friends like Sakura and Issei, but I survived. That's the thing about life, though. Just when you have it figured out, it kicks you face-first into something new. Full summary Inside
1. Prologue

A Fate/ Stay Night FanFic

Aya Natoai Mimica

A/N: This story is, for the most part, about my OC's take on the F/SN story line. A lot of the dialogue and events follow the same path they did in the beginning, but will slowly push off into my own writings after the first couple chapters. It is T rated for the most part, but anyone who's read the actual story and not just watched the show would know that F/SN has always had its adult moments, and I will have one or two in here eventually. The M rating is there for safety. anyway, let me know what you think, will you? Reviews make my world go 'round!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Mayami, I just wish I did.

* * *

When I came to, I was in a burning field. I guess there had been a fire. The familiar town had turned to ashes, and it looked like the remains of a battlefield from the movies. But that didn't last long either. The fire had died down by the time the sun rose. The tall wall of flame had shortened, and most of the buildings had collapsed. It felt strange, being the only thing left looking as it should. I was the only one left. At the time, I couldn't comprehend what that meant.

It might have been luck... though some would argue surviving the destruction of everything you know is as unlucky as it gets. I started walking aimlessly, I thought it might be dangerous to stay there. But where could I go? Whatever happens, I wont make it. The place had become such a hell that even a small child like me could understand that. It wasn't long before I collapsed, sprawled on the ground as the rain began. Everything around me burned, twisted remains of homes and people alike, charred black and smoking.

That was ten years ago. I was saved. Saved by a man I did not know. My body survived, but my mind... my mind was not so lucky. Ashes. Ashes everywhere. Ashes in my blood, behind my eyes, ashes of everyone who died... but not me. Its as if in order to let my body live...

My heart died.

* * *

Just the beginning snippet, albeit a short one. I just couldn't think of a reason to justify putting it in with the first chapter.

The story starts off rather slow, and may seem like a copy/paste job from the visual novel, and I apologize for this but it was the easiest way to introduce the story. From chapter 5 onwards my plot begins to take a stronger hold and less of the other timelines will be referenced. Thank you to Cherry Kariya for pointing that out. Anywho, on with the show!


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Mayami, I just wish I did.

* * *

January 31, 2004

* * *

"...Huh?" I squint my eyes at the bright light. So bright... I hear something. An old, heavy, rusted sound as the door slides open. Light is entering the dark shed and I stir, my eyes trying to adjust.

"Senpai, are you awake?" a soft voice asks. Footsteps as a beautiful purple haired girl approaches. My mind suddenly starts running properly and I smile.

"Good morning, Sakura." I look around, realizing I must have fallen asleep in my shed again.

"Ah yes. Good morning, Senpai." Sakura smiles, as if shes used to this situation. "Senpai, it's morning already. You have a little more time, but Fujimura-Sensai will be angry if she finds you asleep here." She seems happy today, all smiles. It makes me glad, seeing her like this.

"Thanks for coming to wake me up." I tell her, smiling as best I can with my mind still groggy.

Sakura just giggles, patting me on the shoulder as she gets up to leave. This is usually how mornings work. Sakura comes over to make breakfast for me and Fuji-nee, making sure we're on time to school and such. Matou Sakura is my junior by one year, but we still go to the same school so we walk together every morning. Fuji-Nee, on the other hand, happens to be my home-room teacher. She was a good friend of my step-father, and has taken care of me along with Sakura since he died four years ago.

Slowly clambering to my feet, the cold morning air helps me come to my senses. I take a deep breath and stretch... nearly falling over when I find out my leg is asleep. I manage to catch myself, but not before Sakura spots me and has to cover her mouth with a hand to stop herself from laughing. Grinning myself, I wonder if maybe I do that kinda thing unconciously just to see her laugh. I push it off as sleepiness still plaguing my head and follow after her.

Sakura turns around and stops, laughing a little. "You should maybe change before you come in to the house, Senpai." I look down and notice im still wearing my overalls. Being my work clothes, they're pretty dirty. Fuji-nee would have a fit if I came in to breakfast in these.

"Thanks" I smile, moving to a small dresser on the other side of the shed. I keep some changes of clothes out here for just this very kind of occasion. I gather up the pieces of one of my School uniforms and get dressed. Heh, I still remember Sakura's face the first time she saw me in a 'Boys' uniform. I'm not sure why, myself, but I just always felt more comfortable in one then in the skirt and vest the girls usually wear. I look around the shed once more as I change. This place was always more comfortable to me then the big house Father left me. It's full of junk and things like that, but its comfortable. Its one of the few places I can relax. Picking up my work clothes, I set them aside near the entrance, and my eyes catch on the design on the floor. I always wondered what exactly it was, it was amazingly done. An intricate circle full of lines and glyphs. I sigh, pulling myself away and begin my walk up to the house.

I emerge from the shed. The grand house before me was once my father's. Its an old Japanese style manse on the edge of town. He wasn't much of a respected person in town, but he still managed to afford this huge place. It even has separate buildings for a guest house and a dojo.

I've managed to keep it due to the money he left the landlord, old man Fujimura. He's a Yakuza boss, but hes really not that bad of a person. He manages taxes and my inheritance for me, and has never once lied to me or taken something I didn't owe him.

Slowly walking up into the house, I kick off my shoes at the step and walk in. I can already smell the wonderful food Sakura is cooking. Sometimes I feel bad for letting her do all the work, she is my junior after all... but whenever I tell her this she just smiles and laughs it off, saying she really doesn't mind. What would I do without her? I shuffle into the kitchen to help her set the table, as shes already finished. Its been like this for almost a year and a half now, our routine. Usually im up and help her cook. I can quite proudly say I taught her all she knows about cooking, but recently I'm worried she might even surpass me. I steal a quick bite when she looks away and wince, not because it tastes bad, but because its true. She really is getting better, I chuckle to myself.

"You take a rest, I'll set the table. Okay? You worked hard today." I smile. Sakura can be rather stubborn, and won't rest unless she's forced to. I reach for the dishes and begin plating up the food.

"No, that won't do. You're head of the household, so you shouldn't have to work in the mornings" She insists, trying to push me out of the kitchen.

"Nuh-uh. A head of house who sits by and lets you do all the work is a failure. It's alright, I really don't mind." I try to convince her, but as usual she won't budge an inch.

"That's right, please be a failure. This is repayment for letting me eat good food all the time, so go sit down." Sighing, I throw up my hands in mock defeat, but make sure to grab another bite on my way out. Sakura punches me on the shoulder, but smiles happily as I go sit down. I watch as she reaches into the cabinet for the rest of the dishes, and for some reason my eyes drift to her silky hair. I noticed how smooth her skin is and smile, staring dreamily... Whoa, wake up Mayami. I shake my head. Such thoughts about my junior are bad... especially since shes a girl. I mentally slap myself. As if on cue, she turns and smiles her beautiful smile at me.

"Senpai, is there something wrong?" she asks.

"Huh-wha?" I snap out of it.

She laughs at me, though from here I can see the slight blush in her cheeks. "You were staring off into space again, Senpai." Right. Space. *Cough*.

"Err... no, nothings wrong. Sorry Sakura" I try my best to sound honest. She just smiles and finishes up with the dishes. I find myself staring again, probably with a stupid grin on my face at that, but I don't care. She really is beautiful. One of the prettiest girl's in our school. I'm sure there are plenty of people that want to date her, but she doesn't seem to notice. Shes always spending her time either here with me and Fuji-nee, or at home taking care of her grandfather and brother.

Her brother... he'd slap me if I told him what I'm doing right now. Matou Shinji is one of my oldest friends, the one that introduced us in the first place. He can be a jerk sometimes (almost always), and everyone knows he abuses Sakura sometimes as well, but he's always come through for me when I needed it. It's sort of a love-hate relationship, depends on the day. I may greet him with kind words, I may greet him with a fist. I try to keep him from harming his sister, but he really has anger management issues and she has unusually bad luck of being nearby when he flies into one of his fits. Sighing, I try not to think of something so stressful. Its only morning after all. I hear a noise, snapping back to reality as Sakura sets down some of the morning breakfast on the table. Shes grinning at me, seeing me staring again. Usually I'm fine, but when she catches me off guard like this I blush. Does that make me a bad Senpai?

* * *

As we walk to school, Sakura asks me what time ill be home tonight. Sometimes I work, so she waits a bit later to make dinner so I can eat with her and Fuji-nee.

"Think I might be a bit late tonight, but don't wait up for me okay? Have a lot of work to do tonight. A bunch of the part timer's called in sick."

She looks a bit disappointed, but I can tell already that there will be a plate of food waiting for me to get home to it tonight. I smile, and it seems to catch to her face. We slowly make our way to school, not rushing since we have a bit of extra time today. When we reach the main gate I say my goodbye to Sakura, who usually has archery practice in the mornings before class.

"Senpai..." I turn to see her still standing at the gate, with a worried look on her face.

"Is something the matter?" I walk back to her to see if shes okay.

When I get closer I notice shes blushing a bit, and she mumbles a quiet "Would you like to come to the dojo with me?" She says it quickly, but I manage to decipher it.

"Sorry, Sakura, but I promised Issei I'd see him before class today. He wanted me to look at something." I must have looked confused, as Sakura blushes a bit more and nods, bowing her head as if apologizing.

"I-I see... sorry for troubling you then, Senpai." with that, she quickly runs off towards the range as if shes ashamed of something. Still a bit stunned, I stand there for another minute before heading toward the main door. And then it hits me, what she was asking for. I smack myself in the forehead for completely missing it.

"Dammit Mayami, you idiot... oh well, can't turn back now..." I mutter to myself. Poor Sakura... I wonder why she puts up with me the way she does sometimes. Making a mental note to make it up to her later, I push my way in and work my way up to the third floor. After a quick knock, I head into the student council room.

"Issei, you there?"

"Emiya, you're late." He responds with unusual gruffness. Issei is a bit taller then I am, and that combined with his glasses almost make him look like one of the faculty. I smile at him as I set down my bag.

"Liar, I'm ten minutes earlier then my usual fifteen-minute-late schedule." Issei is another of my closest friends. I tend to keep to myself, so I don't make many. But the ones I do, I know I can trust. Issei is head of the student council here, and usually I help him out by talking people out of the deadlocks they get into when arguing with the faculty about where the budget should go. I've always been able to do it, its like I can see exactly what everyone's point of view is and push for solutions that help the majority. Despite this, Issei has yet to manage to get me to join. I don't think he quite understands that I only do it out of our friendship, and not for the council itself.

Issei looks up from the paper he was reading. Sighing, he stands up. Together we go over the latest _un_-workings of the council. It doesn't take me long to figure out whats what, and I write out a note for him to give to the headmaster. When I hand it over, I see that slight twitch of a smile on the corners of his mouth. Hes the kind of guy who likes to keep a tough exterior, but I know he's a nice guy inside. Ryudou Issei has always been my best source of advice around school since first year. He seems to know more about the place then most of the staff, and almost all rumors that go through the school he knows beforehand.

He also happens to be the gayest boy on campus, and everyone knows it. Of course, that doesn't seem to stop some of the more determined girls from trying to sway him. Even I had a bit of a crush on him in first year, but he quickly ruined that when he pointed out which of the boys in the cafeteria looked the cutest. I couldn't stop laughing for nearly the entire lunch period.

He gives me a pat on the back and I head back out into the hall-

-Walking right into someone. I stagger back trying to regain my balance as I quickly apologize. Suddenly, I recognize her as Tohsaka Rin. My eyes widened a bit. Tohsaka Rin is, to put it simply, perfection. She's a senior here like me, but is part of class 2-A so I don't see her much. She's the perfect honor student... intelligent, well mannered, and modest about her looks. She is the envy of every girl, and the ideal of every boy... with very few exceptions.

She's also cold as ice.

That doesn't stop how people react to her though. In fact, the very idea that she is unobtainable seems to only draw more people to her. It doesn't hurt that she also happens to own the largest house over in the more western style suburbs.

Tohsaka looks at me with no emotion as I scramble to pick up the papers I knocked out of her hands. I hand them back to her apologizing once more, but the only reaction I see is her eyes narrowing as Issei walks up behind me.

"Don't get to close, Emiya. I hear she's poisonous." Clearly, Issei is one of those exceptions. It's quite well known he and Tohsaka don't get along. I take a step back, looking between them. I can almost see the daggers they're staring at each other.

"Only when I bite." She replies with feigned sweetness, a rather evil grin on her face. Issei just shakes his head and walks off towards the stairs. I see her face slip back into her mask of nonchalance as I begin walking as well.

I sigh. She may be evil, but she's still a fellow student. I turn and bow to her, and say a polite "Good morning, Tohsaka." I didn't really expect anything to come from it but for just a second I see her mask slip, a stunned look on her face. I turn and leave quickly so she doesn't see my smile.

"You too, Emiya." She calls back trying to sound casual, but I can pick out the confusion she tries to suppress. My smile broadens as I turn in to my classroom and take a seat. The first homeroom bell rings signalling the beginning of classes, but we all know we have about five or ten minutes before Fuji-nee rushes in the door.

A gentle slap across the back of my head signals Matou Shinji's greeting. It doesn't hurt, but I pretend it does to annoy him. "Ouch!"

"Oh hush, you wuss." The blue haired boy takes a seat next to me. Guess he's not having one of his bad days, as he seems his usual cocky self.

"Hows the archery coming, _captain_?" the last word drips sarcasm. Shinji isn't really captain of the archery club, but he likes to think he is. A glint of anger passes through his eye. Hmmm... maybe he is toughing out a bad day. Apparently he can't take a joke.

"Doing rather well since a certain attention-hog left." He makes a point to stare at me without blinking for a moment before continuing. "We'll do better at this years competition."

So, not so good. I'll admit, I was one of the best on the team, but I stopped a few months ago. Shinji had made a point to rub it in my face what he thought about my leaving but Mitsuzuri Ayako, the real captain, had agreed I should go. She had told me she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she made me stay when I didn't want to.

The incident is still fresh in my mind. Shinji and I were arguing, he had hurt Sakura again and I tried to make him understand it was wrong. He smirked and told me he could do whatever he liked, she was his sister and not mine. I don't remember exactly what happened, my head blurred with anger, but a moment later I snapped out of it and saw that I had taken an arrow and stabbed Shinji through the hand with it, pinning him to a target. Whats worse is that it happened right in front of Sakura.

I sigh, both in response to Shinji's remark and the memory it brought up. I seem to be doing that alot lately. Pushing it silently out of my head, I turn to the front of the class and ignore him for the rest of the day.

* * *

There's chapter one! Yay me! I actually have the first 15 or so written out already and I'll be posting a couple more with this one, but if you want more you have to feed me with reviews! Nom Nom Nom!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Mayami, I just wish I did.

* * *

The day drifts by, slower then usual it feels, but finally classes come to an end. Gathering up my things, Issei walks over to me.

"Hey, do you have time to give me a hand tonight Emiya? I need to write up something and I thought maybe..." he trails off. He only resorts to asking for help when he's desperate, and I know this.

I feel bad that I have to turn him down. "I'm sorry Issei, I've got plans." My worry must have shown, since he pats me on the shoulder.

"It's alright, it's not urgent. Something happen at work again?"

"Yeah. bunch of the part timers stopped showing, so I've got three times the work to do. At least I'll get paid their shares." I laugh. It's really not that hard work, just time consuming. I restock shelves at a local liqueur shop called Copenhagen, owned by an old friend of father's.

As I walk across the bridge to the neighboring town, I see some of the local Second-Chome flashing their sirens. Looks like another one of those gas leaks they keep talking about on the news, as their bringing people out of the building on stretchers.

I stop by and watch for a few minutes, but then realize I'll be late if I don't hurry.

After a few hours of running from shelf to shelf, making sure everything is perfect, I walk out with almost thirty thousand yen. I try to keep calm as I walk out into the sidewalk out front, but can't help but let out a whoop of triumph. I guess it pays to work hard... and boy did I work hard. I'm exhausted from doing four peoples worth of work. Looking up at the sky, I can see the stars and it occurs to me I should get home as fast as I can. If I hurry, I might make it in time for dinner.

It's about 7:30 by the time I make back across the bridge into Miyamah city. As I walk the familiar streets I notice something odd. It's as if the place is empty. It's getting late, but there should at least be a few people out. I guess people are a little worked up over the rumors of a family being murdered around here recently.

"Gas leaks and murder... guess it's getting dangerous around here nowadays." I mutter to myself. I make a mental note to insist on walking Sakura home. The Matou house is over in the other side of the residential district, in the more westernized area a few blocks from Tohsaka's place.

Suddenly I feel my eyes drawn up to look up the road. I could have sworn there was no one out, but up ahead I see a Silver-haired little girl in a purple coat happily skipping down the hill towards me. I can't help but hold my breath for some reason as she slowly makes her way towards me, smiling brightly. As the distance closes and she passes me, I hear her whisper something that makes my blood run cold.

"If you don't summon it soon, you'll die Onee-chan."

Unable to move, I hear her turn the corner and suddenly I can breath again. Running back to the corner I look around... and empty streets greet me. I honostly don't know what to think. Brushing it off as some child playing games I quickly run the rest of the way home, pushing my exhausted limbs into action.

* * *

As I step into the brightly lit living room, amazing aromas waft towards me from the table. Sakura and Fuji-Nee are already eating, but it appears they just started.

"Senpai!" Sakura smiles happily and stands to greet me. The main dish is chicken in a delictable cream sauce, and I can't help but feel my mouth water.

"I'm sorry I'm late." I apologize, knowing Sakura really doesn't like to start without me.

"It's alright, Senpai. Hurry and wash up, and I'll fix you a plate." Shes happy that I made it, and I'm glad too. I hate disappointing her. Running to my room to change into seem clean clothes and washing my hands and face in the bathroom, I walk back to the living room and sit down.

"Itadakimasu" I whisper, and take a bite. "Sakura, this is amazing!" I can't help but praise her, she really has outdone herself tonight. Fuji-Nee nods as well, clearly relishing every bite.

"Thank you, you are to kind Senpai" she smiles, a hint of a blush coloring her cheeks. It's not long before I'm asking for seconds.

I sigh dramatically as I take another bite, shaking my head. Sakura seems confused, But Fuji-Nee grins as she realizes what I'm up to. I slowly stand and bow deeply to the girl across from me.

"Um... Senpai?" she seems even more lost now, until I finally speak.

"It is a sad, sad day when the student surpasses the teacher, but I can honestly say that I couldn't be happier." I finish with an elaborate flourish and resume sitting, acting as calm as I can as Sakura covers her face to hide her wide smile and blush.

"I... Senapi, I.... Thank you" she finally manages as she tries to resume eating.

I smile and reach across the table to put a gentle hand on her shoulder and whisper "I still have you beat on Japanese food though"

With that Sakura laughs, the tension easing from her a bit, but the blush remains for the rest of the meal.

By the time the meal is finished, it's almost 9. I offer to help with the dishes, but Sakura happily tells me off and I wander back to my room to think. Waiting a while until she finishes, I make my way back to the kitchen to thank her for dinner and ask her to let me walk her home.

I find her in the living room preparing to leave. She seems surprised to see me.

"Huh? Weren't you taking a bath, Senpai?"

"Nah, it can wait. I want to walk you home first." I try to sound as casual as possible.

"Walk me home..?" the way she says it, it almost sounds like a completely foreign idea to her.

"Yeah, It's getting dangerous out lately, and I just wanted to make sure you get there safely. Your place is pretty far off, and I'll worry if I let you go alone."

"..." Sakura falls into an awkward silence... did I say something bad? Finally she speaks up. "...I'm sorry, Senpai. I appreciate your concern, but you should stay here. I'm used to it, so it won't be a problem." It sounds more like she's trying to convince herself then me, and I almost say so, until it dawns on me.

"Your worried about what Shinji..." my face falls. He was having one of his bad days today, and he really doesn't approve of Sakura spending all her time here. There's no telling what he'd do if he spotted me walking her home so late. The look in Sakura's eyes confirms what I'm thinking. I'm not so much worried as what he'd try to do to me at school tomorrow, but he would quite certainly take it out on Sakura as well.

"So, umm... I'll be okay by myself." She reaffirms.

I try to think of a solution. "At least let me walk you halfway? I'll go at the intersection so he doesn't know." that should be enough. I nudge her gently toward the door. "Someone has to protect you, right? Remind me again who has the highest streak on the archery board?"

The corners of Sakura's mouth twitch, as if trying to hold back the smile, but I can see the happiness in her eyes. She quietly nods, without any more hesitation.

I pump my fist in the air in mock victory. "I finally get to act like a proper Senpai for once!" Sakura can't help but laugh. I laugh too. It's funny how far I'll go just to make her smile like that, even if that's not the reason I started with. As we walk, I noticed how close she walked to me and I couldn't help but wonder what was going on behind those happy eyes.

* * *

February 1, 2004

* * *

I'm having that dream again... I know it's a dream, because I'm conscious of it. Is that a contradiction? It's always the same. It's a room. You can't see a ceiling, but there are no stars either. And it's huge. Like a Warehouse. Shelves and shelves and shelves of... me. It's odd, I think as I wander past the shelves. I see every single person I know. Everyone, their hair done they way they always seem to have it, the clothing they like to wear... but I look at the faces and I see they are all me. There is no particular rhyme or reason to it, the way they are placed. They remind me of dolls, staring blankly ahead until they are needed.

After what seems like an eternity, the shelves come to an end. At the end is a stage. And on the stage is me. The real me. The me that comes to mind when I think about myself. I look at the me on stage and smile.

And the Me turns and grins back.

* * *

My eyes flutter open to see sunlight streaming through my window. Thats always how my dream seems to end. Is it odd that that's the only dream I've ever had? At least that I've remembered in the morning? And I always do, remember that is. It's always so vivid. For ten years it's the only thing I can honestly say I do remember dreaming. Sighing, I push myself up off my futon.

My internal clock tells me that it's 5:30 in the morning. Looks like I woke up on time today. Getting dressed for school, I think about what I should make for breakfast today. Since I'm actually awake, I can start cooking now. Sakura will want to help when she arrives, of course, but it gives me a chance to make up for my usual laziness.

I put some rice into the cooker and decide to make some miso soup to go with it. Yesterday Sakura made radish and carrot miso, so today I decide to go with onion and potato. I also cut up some saury and salt it, but wait to cook it. It tastes better right after it's done. I stop and think.

"What else can I make?" I think aloud. I want to repay Sakura for an excellent meal last night, so I should do something special just for her. I look in the fridge and notice a bit of leftover chicken. Remembering how good it was, I take it out and decide to cut it up to make some bite-sized meat rolls.

Apparently my mind isn't watching my hands, as I suddenly realize that instead of bite-sized rolls, I've made full sized ones with carrots and cooked in a wine sauce. I laugh. I've already got the saury as a main dish, silly.

"Guess I can pack these up for lunch to share with Sakura." still smiling at my mistake, I do so. No wonder Sakura is pushing past me so quickly if I'm making such rudimentary mistakes. "I'll have to make sure I keep these out of sight until it's time to leave"

"Keep what out of sight, Senpai?" I hear Sakura's melodic voice chime from the entrance of the kitchen.

My mind goes blank. I flip around, trying to hide the rolls with my body and try to push her out of the kitchen. "Err... nothing! Nothing at all! I-I... umm... just nothing!" I panic, and she just laughs at me.

"Senpai, there's no need for you to be so obvious about it" She gives me that bright smile of hers and continues "If you'd like me to close my eyes while you go hide the delicious looking rolls I'm not supposed to see, I promise to act surprised later."

We both burst into laughter. Mornings are always so much more fun with Sakura around. She helps me pack them up with some rice for our lunches, and I turn to start cooking the saury while she puts them away in our bags.

"Is there anything I can help with this morning Senpai?" She asks sweetly. When I show her I'm just about done with breakfast she just smiles and begins getting dishes ready and taking them to the table.

"What would I do without you, Sakura?" I whisper to myself. She seems pretty lively this morning, humming to herself as she makes sure everything is perfect. I wonder whats got her so up today, but I know better then to ask. She'll just smile and continue on with her routine.

I hear Sakura talking to Fuji-Nee in the living room and a moment later Sakura comes back in blushing. I smile at her and help her plate up the food to take in. As she walks out once more, I finally stop and think. Somethings definitely odd this morning. I just can't put my finger on it. I sigh, using my chopstick to poke at the saury. It looks about done, so I take it off the grill and set it on the plate Sakura left for me. Putting some rice and leftover carrots around it to make it look nice, I pick it up to hand Sakura as she walks in.

She takes the plate... then freezes.

"Sakura, are you okay?" I ask. Her eyes say something is wrong.

After a moment, Sakura whispers "Senpai... whats that bruise on your hand?"

Confused, I look down. My jaw almost drops right off. It looks like a bruise, yes, but the pattern... its odd, I know I've seen something like it before. "That's really weird... I don't remember hurting myself. Do you think I should put something on it?" I ask her, but she seems very quiet all the sudden. She doesn't look well either. I put my other hand on her shoulder and it seems to snap her back to reality. "I'll be right back, I'm gonna clean it up just in case. Can you finish up here?"

Sakura nods dumbly, and I walk off towards the bathroom to rinse it. Poor Sakura, I think, she worries too much sometimes. I look down again at the mark on my left hand. "How the hell could I have gotten this? There's nothing in my room I could have hit it on while I was asleep, but it wasn't here yesterday night." Something else was bothering me, too. Sakura seemed so... distraught over it, but it's only a bruise right?

I sigh as I run some cool water over and try to rub it off. It doesn't, of course, but it was still worth a shot. I stare at myself in the mirror for a minute. My short black hair is a bit of a mess, but its good enough for now. My green eyes show the stress I'm feeling, and I bite my lip. I guess I'm not that good at hiding after all. "Maybe I should get some pointers from Tohsaka" I laugh to myself. I gently wrap my hand with a clean bandage and head back toward the living room... but something makes me stop and take one last look. I don't see anything wrong, but when I turn to leave once more, a thought flashes through my mind uninvited.

_"...and all of them, Me."_

_

* * *

_

I have to apologize for the waythe chapters are being layed out, I was originally writing this in one large RTF file. Being my first posting to FFNet, I didn't realize I needed to separate it into smaller pieces and post them individually so they aren't all that even. I'm trying to keep them roughly 5-6 pages each, if that's to long/ to short, just let me know and I can try and fix later chapters. Anyway, review and let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Mayami, I just wish I did.

* * *

"I'll go on ahead. See you at school, Senpai..."

After breakfast was over and we cleaned up, we were getting ready to leave. Sakura had still looked almost saddened by my hand, and would keep glancing at it all through the meal. I brushed it off as over worry, but it really must be bothering her if she doesn't want to walk with me.

My face falls a bit, but I nod. She opens her mouth to say something else, but decides against it and opens the door. "Sakura" I call out, and she turns back to me. "Are you sure your okay? If you don't feel well, I can stop at the archery club and tell them you need a rest." I realize how worried I am, and try not to let it show.

Sakura puts on a smile, though I can tell it's just a bluff. "I'm alright Senpai. I just have a light headache is all. I'll be fine." With that she closes the door behind her. I think back. Over breakfast, she seemed even worse. She overfilled her tea, and accidentally drenched her omelet in soy sauce. And to top it off, she forgot to take off her apron when she sat down. She seemed so pale, I hope she doesn't have a cold or something... This is the first time I've ever seen her like this.

I glance down at my hand, and think there has to be more to it then just a bruise. So much worry over such a small thing. I sigh for what seems the thousandth time this morning already. At least Fuji-Nee will be there at the archery club, if there is somthing wrong she'll spot it. I grab my bag and lock up the house, making sure the shed is shut tight, then head for school.

When I reach the intersection that is the center of Miyamah, a strange scene grabs my attention. Several Second-Chome cars are out front of a small house nearby, and the area is taped off. There's a small crowd, and the officers are trying to contain the area. With all the people surrounding the scene, there's not really any way I can get a look so I head off toward school once more.

* * *

I walk in the front gate about ten minutes before first bell, and am greeted by a familiar face.

"Morning, Emiya." She says. Her scraggley brownish-red hair is cut almost identical to mine, and shes looking at me with a smirk on her face.

"Hey, shouldn't you be changed already Mitsuzuri? It's almost homeroom." I lean forward and hug my old friend. It's been a long time since we've spoken, and I just realized how much I missed her.

She just laughs, hugging me back. Ayako and I had once been rather close until we both admitted it really wouldn't work out, and even though we broke it off we're still close friends. Shes more mature then most of the students, and has always had a bit of a sarcastic streak, but she's a good person. Shes like the older sister that everyone counts on. Just don't tell that to her, shes very sensitive about her age.

"Hey, enough bad thoughts about me alright? You've got that look on your face again." she looks annoyed. Unfortunately, she knows me better then I do and can usually tell what I'm thinking rather quickly.

"Objective thoughts about the truth aren't necessarily bad thoughts, Mitsuzuri." We both laugh.

"How do you always manage to do that, Emiya? Answer honestly without ever giving away the answer at all." she shakes her head again. "Anyway, down to business." She takes a step back so we're not in arms distance. She always says its so she can think properly, that I tend to get into her thoughts if shes to close. I let a sultry grin spread across my face and she takes another step.

"Stop that! Anyway.... right, Shinji. I was wondering if maybe you could talk to him? He seems to be a bit... well, pissy. Apparently he had a run in with Tohsaka earlier, and she ripped apart his pride and threw it at him."

"Ouch..." as annoyed with Shinji as I was, I still pitied him. Tohsaka could be rather merciless at times, especially if a boy is to upfront with whats on his mind. And now that I think about it, all Shinji really has is his pride, so it must have been a hell of a blow.

"Yeah, I know. Could you talk to him maybe? I'm getting so tired of him taking out his issues on the rest of the club."

"So you'd rather him take it out on me?" I raise an eyebrow.

"You can take him in a fair fight, and he knows it" she chuckles.

"Well if you put it that way... I'll give it a shot." I cross my arms, frowning. She hates Shinji more then most of the other students, so if she's asking me to talk to him like this he must have done something serious. "What did he do?" I'm almost afraid to ask.

"He made a first year quit. Gathered a bunch of the female students around and made the boy shoot, making fun of him till he could hit the target." My shock must have shown. "I know, I've never seen him go that far before. It doesn't help that Tohsaka comes to watch every so often... though I don't know why. She doesn't shoot, herself, and I didn't think she associated with anyone here at school."

"Hmm... I'll look into it. Thanks for the warning Mitsuzuri." I walk up to hug her again as the first bell rings.

"And Mayami... watch yourself, okay? Don't let him get to you." She whispers in my ear without letting go.

"Never do, Ayako. We need to talk more often, I... missed you." I let it out, as embarrassing as it is. She just leans back and smiles, not a hint of teasing in her eyes. We break off and go our separate ways. After our talk, and our parting words, I feel much calmer. I'll have to try and make it to the archery range more often, not just for Ayako, but for Sakura as well.

* * *

"Emiya, could I have some of that chicken? My lunch is seriously lacking in meat."

There is a cafeteria at the school, but some of the more old fashioned students like to bring their own lunch. That usually includes me and the head of the student council in front of me.

I laugh and pass him one of the rolls, watching his eyes light up in amazement as he chews. "I wish father cooked half as good as you..." Issei mumbles.

"Actually, the chicken was made by Sakura. Believe it or not, she's getting to be a better cook then I am." I laugh again at his surprise. "Hey, I know you live at the temple and all, but I didn't think there were any teachings that prohibit meat or alcohol is there?"

"Such an anachronism. No, it's just my father's way. He says there are no luxurious foods for a young priest, and that I have to work for what I want. I've been thinking of running away to join a circus or something like that." the fact that he says the last sentence with a perfectly straight face makes me almost choke on my rice.

Issei's father is the head of Ryudou temple, a rather bold man who happens to be close friends with old man Fujimura. As much as Issei jokes, he's quite serious about his duties at the temple, and will probably shave his head and begin training once he finishes school.

I pass him my lunchbox after taking a last bite of rice. "Here, go for it. You can repay me by learning to cook so you don't have to steal my lunches anymore" I grin at him.

He shakes his head at me, but bows and takes the food any way.

"By the way, Emiya, did you hear about what happened over on 2nd avenue?" Issei looks up to me while eating the last roll.

2nd avenue? Does he mean the cop cars? "I walked by it this morning, but there was to many people crowding around, I couldn't see anything. What happened?"

Issei's face suddenly becomes quite serious. "I don't know the details, but apparently a family was attacked late last night. Of the family of four, only the youngest son survived. His older sister and parents were murdered with a long bladed object. The Chome think it was some sort of sword, or maybe spear, as odd as that sounds."

I couldn't believe it. What the hell is going on in this town? "Issei, have they caught the murderer?"

Issei sighs. "Unfortunately no. With all the so called accidents over in Shinto, and this... no wonder they're making the curfew earlier."

A knock at the door breaks the silence. "Excuse me, is Ryudou here?" Professor Kuzuki Souichirou pushes the door open. Kuzuki-Sensei is one of the strict, by-the-rules teachers here. He seems to have a permanent scowl attached to his face. He's one of the teachers you just don't mess around with.

Issei stands up. "Do you need somthing Sensei?" from his posture, I can tell he's relaxed. It seems almost a contradiction, Issei is usually a shy person when speaking to students he dosn't know or some of the other teachers, but he addresses Kuzuki as if they're old aquaintances. I should ask him about it later, I think to myself.

They talk for a moment at the door, while I try to sort out what to think about all of whats going on in town. Something isn't right, it can't be a coincidence.

* * *

Classes end, and I should probably head to work... but I still feel bad for what happened this morning. I decide to see if I can find Sakura. Quickly heading up to the fourth floor, stopping for a moment at a machine, I sigh as it looks deserted. She's probably at archery club already. Something makes me stop and look at her classroom door.

"Checking can't hurt, I guess. If she's not here I'll just head to work." I mutter to myself, as if trying to convince myself. I slowly push open the door. The red tinted class is empty. Except for one small shadow still sitting by the window.

"Sakura..." I say aloud as I walk into the room.

"Senpai?" The face hidden beneath her long hair seems even more lifeless then it did this morning. "What is it? Do you have some business here?"

"Sakura, I... I was worried about you."

She makes a gloomy face. She's clearly not doing well.

"Sakura, if your not feeling well you should head home. Come on, I'll walk you to the intersection." I casually reach for her hand.

She shrugs her arm away. "... No, I'm going to archery practice, and then I'm going to come make dinner at your house as usual. Please don't worry about me, I'll be fine." she grab for her bag and starts to walk like she's trying to run away from me.

"Sakura!" I run after her and reach for her as she trips over her own feet. I manage to grab her wrist and keep her from falling and she ends up leaning against me. It almost shocks me how light she is. "Sakura, your not alright. You can't even stand steadily. Are you really all right?"

She drops her head in shame, but doesn't try to get away any more.

"Come on, let's go. I'm not gonna let you go to club like this. I'll skip work tonight, so I can look after you. Lets go home." she's silent and won't answer, but she's not trying to shake off my hand either. Though I can tell just by looking at her she won't come home obediently. She looks up with an almost pleading look on her face, and once more it clicks. "Shinji wants you to go to club, and that's why you won't come home isn't it."

She lowers her head again, but nods faintly.

I close my eyes in thought. I can't interfere if that's the case, or it'll make things worse. No matter how much I see her as family, Sakura is part of the Matou family and not mine. I hate how complicated it has to be, but I know my saying so won't change anything.

"You're just going to watch, right?" my voice is barely above a whisper. I fear she'll hear how angry I am if I raise it any higher.

"... Yes, I know I can't shoot like this." her eyes finally look up from the floor.

"So your basically just going to preserve Shinji's authority." I pull out a seat and sit down next the window. I pull out another next to mine and pat it.

"Um... Senpai?" Sakura looks at me like I've finally lost it.

"Just sit down. I won't stop you from going, but you should at least rest a moment. If Shinji asks, you can tell him it's all my fault." I put my feet up on the desk in front of me and stare out the window. The sunset is Beautiful from here.

"But Senpai, if I say that then... Shinji might... he'd be angry with you."

"Psh, I can deal with that. Besides, it wouldn't be a lie would it? So you don't have to feel guilty about it." I smile as I hear her give in and sit next to me. I reach for my backpack and pull out two cans of warm tea I got from the machine before coming upstairs.

We stare out at the sunset together, drinking our tea. All is silent between us, so I just watch the sky. Time passes slowly. Sakura really isn't the talkative type. She always seems so much more relaxed when she's alone. Come to think of it, shes always like that, wanting to be alone. It's not like she's excluding herself from the crowd, but trying to isolate herself within it. She looks outside the crowd more then in it.

That must be why she was still here when I got here. Sakura dosn't actively spend time with others. It makes me smile when I realize how special Fuji-Nee and I must be to her. Even I would never have even known her If I hadn't known Shinji. I sneak a glance at Sakura.

When Shinji introduced me to her four years ago, she was just a small girl. now she's a junior who comes to help out around my house, and her childish image is disappearing. Sakura is becoming beautiful. No, that's not right... she always has been. I just never saw her that way before. She's thoughtful and gentle. That's why I don't understand why she doesn't seem to have many friends. I stare off back into the sky while I think.

"Senpai, do you remember?" Sakura suddenly breaks the silence.

"Remember what?"

"It was a long time ago, back before I met you. Four years ago, right when I entered this school. I wasn't really familiar with this place, so I wandered aimlessly when I saw somthing strange." Her eyes seemed to smile as she fondly remembered. "Even though it was after school and the track tam had left, someone was still running around alone. When I looked closer wondering what she was doing, I realized she was doing high jumps by herself."

The smile found its way to her lips and I couldn't help but smile along with her.

"Everything was red and beautiful in the sunset, but it was very lonely. In it, she just kept running, jumping, dropping the pole, and repeating. There was no one around and it was obvious she couldn't jump that high, but she never even stopped once. The pole was way over her head, and even I could tell it was impossible. It wasn't something that could be done with effort, and if I knew that she must have as well."

Her eyes no longer saw the sunset before us, I could tell they only saw the one four years ago now.

"I was a bad girl back then. Something bad had happened to me, and I wanted to take it out on somone. I wanted to watch this person fail, give up, and be discouraged. so I kept watching. But she wouldn't give up. She repeated it over and over, never once complaining or admitting defeat."

I smiled, closing my eyes. I did remember. But I didn't want to interrupt her, she seemed so happy all the sudden. "Maybe there was an important test the next day, and she didn't want to fail" I suggested.

"She wasn't even on the track team." Sakura laughed. "It took me a while, but I realized something. She didn't care about what she was doing. She had just happened to run into something she couldn't do and was obstinate about not losing. When the sun finally set, she cleaning up and walked home like nothing happened, calm as can be."

"Well she must have finished it if she left. How high was it?"

"But that's the thing, she didn't. She tried for three hours, but was convinced at last she couldn't do it." Sakura turned to look at me. "She was so earnest I even worried about her. She's probably someone very dependable. But that made me feel so uneasy and lonely."

Her voice did sound lonely now, as if the red light in the room would swallow it. "Hmm... so what about it?" I was a bit confused.

"No, it's okay if you don't understand. It just means that even though it looked that way to me, it was just an everyday thing for her." Sakura's smile is as bright as it was this morning, and I'm glad. Seeing her in such a gloomy state made me feel horrible, especially since I was the cause.

I smile at her for a moment before I finally bring myself to speak. "I don't remember any spectator's that evening." We laugh together. I didn't know she had seen that. I still don't quite understand why it's such an important memory to her, even if it's our first meeting of-a-sorts.

"We were both looking at the same thing." she whispers, looking back at the sunset outside.

As if on cue, a familiar bell echos through the school. I look at the clock and sigh. It's already 4:30. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you the whole period."

"No, it's alright. I feel much better now Senpai." her smile was brighter then I had ever seen before, and I couldn't help but blush a bit.

"Why don't you go ahead, I'll clean up." I pause, then look back. "I just realized, I've gotta work late tonight, so don't push yourself okay?"

"Alright Senpai, I'll just cook your dinner and leave." she bows happily and walks out.

I know that in my mind, I was crying tears of joy. That I could bring such a smile to her face with just a memory made me happier then I thought was possible.

* * *

There's three. I just realized I havn't been putting up a disclaimer, will go back and fix that ASAP.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Mayami, I just wish I did.

* * *

On my way to work, I realize I have a bit of time on my hands. I guess I hurried unnecessarily. It wouldn't do much good to wander aimlessly, but my eyes are drawn to the old park not far down the street. Against my better judgement I start walking.

This park among the buildings is like a big field. It should be filled with people like families and lovers, but it is empty. This place has always been desolate... I'm a bit saddened. The utterly neglected ground is a stark contrast to the surrounding neatness. This desolate place makes the wind feel cold.

Images of the great fire that created this place flash through my mind. Even now I can feel the ashes blowing on the wind, smell the smoke in the air... but I know neither are here.

I sit down on a bench, staring across the scorched land. A familiar heat, the constriction of my chest... I feel it again. I know I'm still breathing but it feels as if I cannot. I can feel the fire dancing across my skin, hear the dying screams of everyone around me. I can feel the rain that isn't there.

I hate this place.

I love this place.

No matter how far I run from it, it's still right there with me, inside me. Ashes in my blood, behind my eyes...

I was saved when so many others were not. And in return all I wanted was to save others even at my own expense. The man who saved me, Emiya Kiritsugu, once told me how foolish a wish it was.

"In order to save one person, another must not be." I whisper the familiar phrase to myself. What hurts the most is that I know it is the truth.

* * *

By the time I'm finished it's almost 8pm. My back aches from the spill I took, but the painkillers are starting to kick in. I'm usually not clumsy at all, but... I sigh. I knew I should have avoided that place.

As I walk to the station, I look up at the sky. The stars are beautiful tonight, brighter then they had been in a long time. Something catches my eyes, however, on top of the building next to me. I focus my eyes, and though it's small as a piece of rice, I could almost swear it was Tohsaka Rin. The red coat that's part of the school uniform isn't all that uncommon, but the way she wears it... and there's no mistaking her dark tresses. She looks down across the town, and for a moment I could swear she was staring back at me.

Then she was gone.

"Huh? why would..." It didn't make any sense. Why would Tohsaka be standing up there? I push it out of my mind. It might not even have been here. All I had was a feeling, there's no way I could be sure.

I grab the first bus heading back to Miyamah, and when we arrive I get out at the crossroads. I still feel a little guilty, and think maybe I should make sure Sakura made it home okay. It's not like I could do anything after I got there, but it's better then just standing around wondering. I turn down the road that eventually leads to the western subdivisions.

It dosn't take long to reach the place, since I know a few shortcuts. I look around for anyone suspicious after I remembered Sakura mentioning someone watching the place at night. The lights were on in both hers and Shinji's rooms, so that must mean she made it home okay.

"Excuse me?" an odd voice asks from behind me. I whirl around. Sighing in relief as I see just an old man. Old is really more of an understatement, he looks ancient... and his eyes are sharper then someone his age should be. Even with the cane he holds in his right hand, he has an aura of dignity that feels almost like it's weighing down on me.

"What is wrong, young one, why don't you answer? If you do not answer, I shall have to jump to conclusions. Hmmm... are you the stranger Sakura was talking about?" I couldn't answer, I was frozen in place.

Then it hit me. "Wait a sec... Your Sakura's grandfather?" I've never met the man, but the she described him, he has to be.

"Ah, you know my Granddaughter? Speak up then, who are? It is impolite to ignore an old man." He smiles, and it sends a shiver down my spine for a reason. The noise of the nighttime bugs seems loud here, I note.

"I'm Emiya Mayami, and I'm sorry if I was intruding. I just wanted to make sure Sakura got home okay, she didn't look to well this morning." It was a half truth, but I don't see any reason I need to give him the details... something about him makes my skin crawl.

He seems to ponder for a moment, looking me up and down. "Zouken." he says suddenly.

"Pardon me?"

"Zouken. It is unfair of me to withhold my name when I know yours. I am Matou Zouken. Sakura is home now yes. If you are a friend, I apologize for stopping you. You are welcome to enter if you please. Perhaps you could stay for dinner?"

"Ah, no, thank you. I was just passing by. I'll be going now. It was a pleasure to meet you sir." I bow and start walking back towards home when... I notice something odd.

There are no noises from the nighttime bugs... and there shouldn't be.

It is still winter here.

* * *

February 2, 2004

* * *

As I walk through the shelves, I begin to realize something. It is not quite true to say they are all the people I know, but with my face. Because they really all are _me_, not other people. So they are all me if I looked like them instead of myself.

Finally reaching the end of the shelves, I see the stage once more. And once more, I see my true self standing upon it. Curious, I try to look down at myself, but I see nothing. Like I'm invisible. Waving a hand in front of my face, still nothing. It definitely seems odd. But the me on stage follows me with her eyes as if she can see me.

Once more I smile at her.

And once more she smiles back.

* * *

Groaning as Fuji-Nee pokes me in the side, I groggily wake up.

"Wake up silly! You'll be late!" says the woman who's _always_ late to her own class. I finally push myself up and look around. That's odd, I think to myself. Why didn't Sakura wake me up when she got here? I push Fuji-Nee out of my room and quickly change.

"Hurry up hurry up hurry up!" Fuji-Nee's voice calls. I run down the halls, into the living room-

-and almost right into Sakura, who is just setting the table for breakfast. I manage to swerve out of the way and into a wall instead of knocking her over. Going head over heals I roll into the wall, and just collapse there.

"Senpai! Are you alright Senpai?!" Sakura is kneeling at my side, but all I can do is stare off dazedly at the ceiling.

Fuji-Nee is laughing hysterically, holding onto her sides. Yeesh, you'd almost think she's a child instead of a teacher, the way she's acting.

"Fuji-Sensai, that was mean! I think you hurt Mayami! Stop laughing!" Sakura's angry voice snaps both of us back to reality. I look up at Sakura, who's glaring heatedly at Fuji-Nee. I try to tell her it's okay, but I'm still in shock. She called me Mayami.

Suddenly she's looking down at me, blushing a little. I realize I must have said that out loud. I smile, reaching up to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder... and I realize she's holding onto my other hand tightly. I look down at it, and she lets go as if she's been burned. She helps me sit up, but then runs back into the kitchen, blushing heavily. Still a bit dizzy, I crawl over to the table and sit down cross legged, unable to hold my balance well enough to sit properly.

Proping my elbows onto the table and holding my head still, I try to organize my jumbled thoughts. She called me Mayami. I don't know why I'm so hung up on it, but I am. She called me Mayami, and it sounded so beautiful. Like a cherished flower. I can't help but let out a small smile.

Breakfast was very quiet. Silent in fact. I decided the time was right.

"You have to sleep sometime." I say quietly, without looking away from my food or smiling. I say it as dead serious as I can. And then I return to my splendidly cooked meal.

Sneaking a peak at Fuji-Nee, I see she's gone quite pale, staring into her coffee cup.

* * *

As we lock up to leave, I notice Sakura acting strangely again. "Hey, do you feel okay? You look a little pale again." I try not to sound to worried, but I know she knows I am.

"Huh? oh, no I'm fine Senpai... It's just... umm.." She sorta trails off, looking at my left hand. Oh. Right.

"Yeah it's still there, but it's just a welt. I had Issei look at it, and he says it'll be fine in a few days. So no worries" I smile at her.

She dosn't seem convinced, but slowly follows along.

"It really is okay, Sakura. It's fine." I run my other hand over to show her.

"..."

"Are you sure your okay? You've been acting funny ever since you saw it the other day. It's just a welt right? or what, did you step on my hand while I was sleeping and now you feel guilty about it?" I raise an eyebrow.

For a moment I see a flash of laughter in her eyes, but then it's gone. "S-senpai! I'm not that heavy! It's just..." she sighs "I hope I'm wrong..."

"Huh?" I don't understand her. Sakura isn't very talkative, but she tends to say important things clearly. I just can't shake the feeling there's something she's not telling me.

"...Senpai, I have a favor to ask you, if it's alright with you."

"Huh? sure, If I can do it I will." something in her eyes, a pleading look. whatever's up, it must be important.

"...yes. I won't be able to come and help you until tomorrow night. Will you please... try to stay in your house until that time?"

"Your asking me to skip work?" my reply is calm, but alarms are going off in my head. Somethings not right.

"Please? Umm... I want you to stay in your house as much as possible, I'll come help you when I'm done with my errand.

She's begging me without showing it. "I suppose I could rest for a day... alright, I'll just relax for this weekend...but there's one condition."

"Yes?" she says, almost hesitantly.

"Somethings bugging you, and this is a big request, especially coming from you," Sakura looks a bit crestfallen, but I continue. "and I won't ask whats going on, as long as you promise to explain whats wrong when you get back, okay?" Inside I'm screaming at myself. It is a deliberate lie. If Sakura is in danger, there is no way I can keep myself stuffed in my house while she endures it.

"I promise, Senpai." she says softly.

I smile at her, and gently put an arm across her shoulder as we walk to the school. Don't worry Sakura, I think to myself, Senpai's on the job.

* * *

We part at the gate, like normal. People were looking at us, and what a sight we must have been. For most of the walk, I had my arm around her, and eventually she just closed her eyes and leaned against me, letting me guide her.

She was to lost in her own thoughts to care, I think. And to be honest, I don't care either. She's my friend, she needed comfort. They can say what they want. I step forward through the gate, and my blood runs cold. I look around, trying to see whats wrong, and once I'm looking I see it. Just looking around the yard, the students seem so... lifeless. No one seems to notice but me. I can almost see... stains, I don't know how else to explain it, on the school building. I take a few more steps, and soon it passes.

My stomach turns. Something definitely isn't right here. I decide to look around when I get the chance.

* * *

School ends early on Saturdays. Classes end before noon, and by the time I'm done helping Issei the sun's already starting to set. I pack up my bags and head for the door, when I bump into Shinji.

"Yo, Emiya! Just who I was looking for!" there are a couple girls tagging along behind him. I don't recognize any of them, but they seem to know me.

"What do you want, Matou?" I ask coldly, not in the mood for his games.

He seems a bit taken aback, but barrels right on anyway. "Hey, I wanted to ask you a favor. The archery range is a bit of a mess, and I'm in a bit of a hurry. do you think you can gimme a hand? For old time's sake?" I easily pick the sarcasm out of his question, but a thought strikes me. I silently apologize to Sakura.

"...Fine. But you owe me one Matou. Just remember that." it would give me an easy excuse to stick around and investigate. Shinji's smirk pisses me off, but he has unknowingly given me exactly what I need, so I can't help but ignore it.

As he struts past, I whisper to one of the girl's "Careful, don't catch what he's got or you'll be sorry." and continue on my way. I grin, knowing the one will spread it to the rest, and Shinji will be out of luck tonight.

After a bit of work, I stand up. It wasn't hard, just a quick wipe-down and a few bowstrings reattached and Tah-Dah! I'm free to do as I please, at least for an hour or so. My excuse won't last forever, after all.

It's already 7, and it's dark out, but I don't care. I silently make my way back towards the main building. The wind Is howling, and it's quite cold tonight. My breath comes out in clouds of mist. The moon is hidden behind the clouds above, and I hear...

"What was that?" It almost sounded like metal striking metal, and it was coming from the building. I jog quietly towards the main yard, trying to keep hidden. The sound gets louder and louder as I approach. Definitely sounds like a fight now. In the distance I can see... people? but they're moving to fast. I find a tree big enough to hide behind, and poke my head out to watch the battle.

My mind blanks. A man in red, a blade in each hand, is battling a man in blue, holding a great red spear.

_"Of the family of four, only the youngest son survived. His older sister and parents were murdered with a long bladed object. The Chome think it was some sort of sword, or maybe spear, as odd as that sounds"_

Issei's words flash back to me. I try to look at them again, but they're moving impossibly fast. No, my mind corrects, In_humanly_ fast. Humans cannot move like that. The ringing of their weapons tells me they are obviously trying to kill each other, there is to much weight in each strike.

I can feel their murderous intent even from here.

'I'm going to die.'

My body understands faster then my brain that I will die if I stay here. My heart is beating loudly. I shouldn't watch any longer, but i cannot tear my eyes away from their dance. My body won't follow my commands to run. I can't even breath. My heart rate speeds up.

I'm at least forty meters away, but I feel like I have a spear pressed against my back. I can't breath. Suddenly, the sounds stop. I take a breath. The moment I feel relief at the end of the battle, I sense an even stronger intention to kill.

My heart stops. The numbness in my body turns into convulsions, and I clench my teeth to try to hold my trembling body. 'What the hell is he?!' my mind screams. I can feel from here the energy pouring into the man in blue.

He's going to die. The man in red is going to die. Even I can tell. That energy... I can feel it echoing within me. I want to call it magic.

He'll die. He's not human, but nothing can survive being hit with such power.

Wait a minute... magic?

Suddenly my mind is elsewhere, off of the pair of not-humans. The binds on my body seem to disappear as my mind leaves them, and my brain's 'RUN' command kicks into overdrive before I have a second to think.

"Who's there?" I hear a shout, and I see the man in blue's stance change. That simple action alone is enough to tell me I am now his target. And with that, I'm off like a bullet. I run faster then I thought myself possible, but in my mind I understand it won't be near enough. They're not human. They're different. _Faster._

As I run, I see something out of the corner of my eye. A familiar figure, cloaked in red. My mind won't let me call out to her, all I can do is run.

I slam into the school building door, pushing past it and running straight for the stairs. I only make it to the second floor before instinct takes over and I role forward, the spear missing my by mere centimeters. My back slams into a wall of lockers, and I can't move.

I cry out in pain. The man in blue stands over me. Aside from the silver shoulder plates, he is wearing what looks like a blue skin-suit with silver metal lines interlacing over here and there.

He smiles down at me, and surprises me when he speaks in a friendly tone. "Yo, the chase is over now, right?" His accent is odd, I can't quite place it. My mind is screaming to run as it understands he has no intention of letting me go. I can't breathe.

"You know better then anyone that you can't escape, right? People who get killed are usually like that. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. You don't have to feel ashamed."

He seems to want to comfort me, but I don't want to die at all. He's looking down at me with one eye closed, and I see that the iris in the other is red. Blood red. It seems a stark contrast to his blue armor, and short cut blue hair. I can't help but admit he's rather dashing looking and would be blushing if he wasn't about to kill me.

The lance he carries is casually raised. "You were just unlucky, kid." He says, his last attempt at comfort. "Well, you saw us, so... die."

I gasp. But can't breathe. Pain everywhere. The lance pierces my heart. I'm dead. I just haven't accepted it. I'm not ready to get off stage yet. The audience claps, the curtains close...

I can feel myself fading away. I cough out blood. I can't breathe. I can't move. I don't want to die. As my senses slowly begin to fade I hear the man in blue leap out the window, and soon after two more pairs of footsteps run patter across the hallway floor.

I can't breathe. So much pain. I cough again, but there is no more blood. My eyes close, and I am swallowed by darkness.

I feel something, someone turning my head.

"Why... why did it have to be you?" a soft whisper... I know the voice, but there's not enough oxygen left in my brain to put it to a face. With one last gasp, my mind fades to white.

* * *

There we go! Four chapters up. As I said before I do have 15 of them written, but I'd like to know what you think first. If I get a couple of reviews I'll start posting the rest.


	6. Chapter 5

*Poke*

"Mmm... leave me alone..."

*Poke*

"I said... leave..."

*Poke*

"What is wrong with you?!" I sit up groggily. And come face to face with myself.

"I'm not sure, what _is_ wrong with you? You're talking to yourself, after all." The Me puts her hands on her hips.

"Intelligent conversation, and all that yadda yadda..." I yawn and try to move, but it hurts.

"Um yeah, you took a nasty blow, try not to move your... well, anything." The Me gently lays me back on the floor.

"... am I dead?" I try to look around, but my vision is to blurry to see anything but the hallway floor and the Me standing over me.

"Nuh-uh. Got saved. Imagine that." she smirks at me.

"Well, help me up then will you?" I try once more to stagger at least onto my knees.

"I can't, I'm not really here."

Suddenly I look around, and realize I'm alone in the school hall, kneeling in a rather hefty puddle of my own blood. I look down at the small hole in my jacket and shirt, running my hand over where there _should _be a gaping wound. It looks almost as if its healed over, I can see a scar. But the pain still radiates throughout my body. To top it off, the blinding headache that seems to throb with each beat of my heart isn't helping either.

Quickly getting up, I almost fall back over as vertigo takes over. I make my way to the nearest janitor closet and use the mop to clean up the bloody mess on the floor. Near to where I was laying, I see a small necklace, a gold chain attached to a beautiful ruby. Sliding it into my pocket, I look out the window.

Its still dark outside, but I can tell it can't have been more then a few hours since I... died. After putting the things away, making sure there's nothing to give away what happened, I slowly make my way down the stairs and out of the building.

It takes me almost an hour to get home, each step shooting pain through my body. I'm just glad no one saw me and tried to stop and help me.

Limping into the living room and flicking on a light, I stagger towards the bath room to look at myself in the mirror.

"Hello! Guess we made it back okay, huh?" my reflection waves. I can't help but stare at the mirror, mouth agape. She puts her hands on her hips and raises an eyebrow. "We look like shit, we should clean ourselves up a bit."

I nod dumbly. I've finally lost it, I think to myself.

"Ugh, my head..." I hold on to my forehead, trying to put some pressure on it to ease the pain.

"Tylenol, second shelf on your left." I don't even question it, and reach for the bottle. Tapping out a few, I swallow them in a single gulp. Clutching at my chest as the throbbing pain continues, I stagger back towards the living room before collapsing on the ground. I lay there, resting for a few minutes.

I slip my hand through the hole in my shirt again, feeling my breast. I can feel the scar. It's impossible. I should be dead. Maybe I am and just don't know it. I shiver. My breathing escalates, and I can't help but remember the feeling of the spear piercing into me. I begin to hyperventilate. Fear takes over my mind, but I can almost feel a hand on my shoulder, soothing me.

It takes a moment to push it back, but I eventually feel myself relax. I take a few deep breaths and try to think back. Back before dying. The two not-men. Thinking back, I notice how they move, how they react, and just how they are overall. It almost feels like they're not there at all, like images painted on to the landscape around them.

I shiver again. That spear was pretty damn sharp for an image. Whatever they are, they're way beyond my league.

"What have I gotten myself into..." I sigh.

_Crackle, crash, pop. _Something is in the house with me. The lights go out. I can feel the murderous intent I remember oh so clearly from several hours earlier.

"Hey, how many times do I have to kill you?"

At the sound of his voice, time seems to slow down. Hurray for adrenaline. Ignoring the pain, I jump to my feet and make a run for the door.

"Tsk, tsk. Making me work for it is only gonna make things harder on yourself you know." Out of nowhere, a whistling sound and I dodge my head to avoid the spear. It scrapes my right shoulder, leaving a painful cut but I keep going.

Damnitdamnitdamnit I don't want to die! Time seems slower and slower, as if I'm running through molasses. Flashes of the warehouse in my dreams spread across my vision.

"Not now!" I pant, scrambling into the hallway. The man in blue doesn't seem to be in any hurry, smiling as he walks along behind me and occasionally thrusting his spear at me.

Shelves flash past my eyes. I'm standing by the stage and the shelves are all rushing past me. Nothing will work, this man isn't human...

The me on stage is frantic, running through halls and trying to find an escape.

I turn left and run for the main entrance, just as a shelf drops in front of me with exactly what I need.

Time freezes.

It can't be... It's not really possible, is it?

"All you can do is give it a try. Whatever you decide, do it quick." The me is breathing ragged, hanging in mid air as the spear sits almost next to her neck.

I turn back to look at the shelf before me and smile. And the Me in the blue skin-suit of armor smiles back.

A flash of light illuminates the hall, and the spearman has to retract his hand a bit, giving me time to slam through the front door and make a run for my shed, my haven. Instinct tells me to roll and turn, and I listen just as the spear comes down heavily. He makes a second thrust...

... and with reflexes I know I cannot possess, I twist and grab onto it just below the blade. Looking stunned, he quickly pulls it back. I jump at that exact moment, using the momentum from his pull, and put all the strength I can into a kick across his face.

I watch it all, as if it is a movie playing out in my head. I know it isn't possible, but I watch anyway. Too shocked by my actions to react in time, the man stares at me as my foot connects with his face. I hear a satisfying _Crack!_ and we both fall to the ground.

I jump to my feet once more and back up towards the shed. There's nowhere else to run as the man slowly gets to his feet, still wide eyed. He rubs his jaw and smiles. "Not bad for a human, kid. But that little trick of yours won't save you. Just looks alone don't make you me."

With that he charges, spear aimed right at my head. I duck, but his roundhouse kick followup knocks me through the doors and onto my back. Strangely, the only sensation I feel is a prickling across my bruised hand.

I wave goodbye as an exhausted blue-haired me staggers off the stage and the Me-me retakes her place. The shelves in my mind realign and fade from my sight as I retake my own place within my body. My hand aches, like someone is writing on it with a knife.

I take a glance at it and gasp, as the strange bruise glows red and pulses softly. The man before me smirks as he brings his spear up for a final thrust.

"Not fair... I don't want to die _again_" my voice is barely a whisper. I close my eyes, tears dripping down my face. I hear him take a half step forward and...

"Then don't."

_Clang! _

My left eye peeks open just in time to see a silver flash drive back the blood red spear.

_Clang! Crash! Clang!_

The silver light forces the man back and out faster then I can see. The wind is going nuts, it sounds like a whirlwind surrounds me.

And then the silver light turns to me, and I see it is a girl. Clad in silver armor, her billowing blue dress swirls around her in the wind. The wind must have pushed aside the clouds, and for a moment I see her face touched by the moonlight.

I'm speechless. Not because I'm confused by the turn of events, but because of her overwhelming beauty. She stares at me emotionlessly with her jewel-like eyes, not making a single sound. For a moment, she seems to look me over.

"I ask of you, are you my master?" her voice, full of pride and courage, reminds me of a knight.

"H..huh?" I can't seem to find the words I need, so I can only stare back. I don't know who she is or what she's talking about. All I know is that my instincts tell me she is as inhuman as the blue haired man is, and her image seems to shimmer beautifully in the moonlight.

The knight before me says nothing more, staring into my eyes in silence. Pain wracks my body and I have to look away as I clutch my chest. I must have torn something, as it feels worse then it did when I awoke in the school.

I slip from where I was braced against the wall, but before I hit the ground I feel her catch and hold me close, pushing my shirt aside with a gauntleted hand to examine the wound. Blushing, I try weakly to push back, but feel the strength drained from me as my adrenaline finally wears out.

"I, servant Saber, have come forth in response to your summons. Please give me an order, master." she says quietly, apparently deciding my injury will be fine. Pain shoots through my left hand and I raise it to see. The mark seems to have cooled, and is now a deep red that contrasts with my pale skin.

Suddenly I recognize it. It is the glyph in the center of the circle in my shed, the one I've sat next to for nearly 10 years. Not only that, but I see the same symbol in the center of the crest emblazoned on the girl's armor. The words _master_ and _servant_ ring back in to my mind.

Her eyes following mine, she registers the mark and nods, gently putting me down. "From this time forth, my sword shall be with you and your fate shall be with me. Now, our contract is complete."

"...c-contract...?" I manage to mumble. The girl stands and looks away towards the shed door. Even with such a small movement, it is filled with an ethereal grace. On the other side of the door, I see the man holding his red spear ready.

Faster then I can think, the girl leaps out of the shed without hesitation. I hear their weapons clash, and push past the pain to crawl towards the door. When I reach it, I can't believe my eyes. Before me, the girl moves as fast as the man in blue. Their weapons are a blur... wait, I can't even see one in the girl's hand. There must be somthing, for every second or so sparks fly at the contact.

It is almost like they are dancing, the constant movement, the rhythm of steel on steel. The man isn't doing to well, even I can see that. The girl is slowly backing him into a corner, and with a weapon like his it would mean almost certain doom.

The girl, she called herself Saber didn't she? Saber gracefully parries another blow but brings her hands swirling back low. I see a flash of red as she slices into his arm, but he shrugs it off and continues his end of the dance.

"Damn!" I hear the man grunt as he takes another blow. He's almost out of room. The man's lance is glowing from the heat of the friction between them. Each hit is almost like an explosion. I can almost see the energy rolling off of Saber, can see it flowing into each of her blows.

I know just from watching that she could easily cleave a car in two, or worse, with a single slash like that.

"Coward! What are you doing, hiding your weapon?!" the man shouts. Obviously, he's having trouble keeping up a defense against a sword he can't see. Saber is silent, but her attacks seem to intensify. I guess I'm not the only one having trouble seeing it.

I can't help but feel bad for the man, even though he tried to kill me. Saber is relentless. The man finally attempts to sidestep and strike, but Saber swings with a mighty overhand blow that drives his feet into the ground.

Deciding he can't win, the man leaps backwards onto the wall surrounding my house and disappears. Before I can think, Saber is up and after him. Without warning the man comes out of nowhere with a horizontal slash, which is easily blocked but forces Saber to fall back towards the center of the yard. Her blade is wedged firmly in the ground, and the man charges at her.

That opening in her defences is irreversible, or so I thought. At the very last second, she swings her entire body around the invisible blade and uses her momentum to rip it out and swing with all her might.

The resounding clash almost deafened me. I hear a crash as the man in blue flies back into the wall, leaving a sizeable dent. He quickly regains his footing, and they stare at each other.

"What is wrong, Lancer? It would not do your name credit if you just stand there. If you will not come, I can." Saber breaks the silence.

"Hah, your going to come and die? I don't mind, but let me ask you this first. Your Noble Phantasm, is it a sword?" the man, apparently called Lancer, glares at her.

Saber smiles slyly. "Who knows? It might be a battle axe, it might be a spear. It might even be a bow, Lancer."

"Heh, keep talking saber." He laughs. His posture lowers, his lance tipped down as if he no longer wants to fight.

Saber seems puzzled, but I know that stance. At the schoolyard, it was the would-have-been fatal attack I accidentally interrupted.

"...I'll ask just in case, since this is our first meeting. Do you want to call it a draw?" Lancer seems dead serious. "It's not a bad deal, right? See, that senile master over there is useless, and it so happens mine is a coward. I think it's in both our interests to hold off on this match until we're better prepared."

"I refuse. You will fall here, Lancer." No hesitation. I smile. I'm just glad she's on my side.

Lancer just smiles. His stance lowers further, and the air around him distorts. The etchings intricately spiraling around his spear glow a soft red. My breath hitches. The energy, no, magic is swirling through the air around that spear like a black hole.

Saber clasps her invisible sword tightly, readying herself. She knows better then to rush into this attack.

"...Your heart is mine!" Lancer snarls as he leaps into the air. He moves so fast that it seems almost like he teleported in front of Saber, and thrusts his spear at her... feet?

It was a bad move, even to my eyes. With the lance as low as it was, it would be even less effective then usual to aim low at her. As if to prove my point, Saber leaps effortlessly over it and moves to swing her sword...

In that moment...

"Gae..."

The words themselves charged with magic and hatred...

"BOLG!"

The lance shivers and suddenly rushes towards Saber's heart. It is an impossible move, for the lance was already past her. Saber's small body is thrown up in the air with the force of the blow. She flies for a moment, only to come crashing back down to the earth and landing on her front.

She staggers up lightning-fast, but I can see she's bleeding heavily, one gauntlet trying to cover the hole in her armor. "You... you bastard... A reversal of causality!"

The impossible move, I go over it again in my head. The lance was definitely aimed at her feet. But it suddenly changed course and moved at an impossible angle to pierce her heart, though the spear has not grown or bent.

It looked so natural that it is almost as if the lance was already in her heart. It seems so odd... It's not as simple as the lance changing course to hit her heart, but changed the means so the result would be so. Cause and effect, reversed. How can such a ridiculous attack be blocked?

And then I understand why this move is always fatal... except Saber isn't dead. She's hurt very badly, but I can see that the wound is slightly off where her heart should be. Either divine protection, or just plain luck.

Saber catches her breath, and I can see the blood has stopped flowing from the wound. Is she healing already? Its extraordinary, but I knew she wasn't human so I shouldn't be surprised.

Lancer doesn't move. He could go now, and Saber wouldn't be able to defend herself. We all see that. But he doesn't move. He's grinding his teeth so hard I can hear it from here.

"You evaded it, Saber... The ever-fatal Gae Bolg." His voice seems to echo from the ground.

Saber seems to come to a realization. "Gae...Bolg? You are Ireland's man of light! I name you, Cu Chulainn!"

Lancer crosses his arms and sighs. "I suppose there _is _such a thing as being to famous." Lancer turns his back and walks away, but stops at the edge of the yard. "The rule is to fight to the death if your identity is discovered, but unfortunately my master has _commanded_ that I leave since you evaded my lance."

"You are running away, Lancer?" Saber growls, taking up her sword once more.

"You could always chase me." Lancer smirks, then leaps off over the wall. Saber is instantly after him.

Finally finding my voice, I yell after her "Saber, wait!" but there really was no need for it. She stumbles to her knees, clutching her chest. I can see the blood at the corner of her mouth and staining her shining armor, and I drop to my knees next to her, trying to get a look at the wound.

"Master please, you must heal me so I may pursue him."

I stare blankly at her, I don't know what to do to help. She seems to notice.

"You have no spells? No crystals at the ready?" She almost looks as confused as I am. "Master, you are a Magus, are you not?"

All I can do is shake my head. "I don't even know what that means, I'm sorry." I whisper sadly. The look in her eyes breaks my heart, she expects me to be able to do things I cannot.

She looks away, slowly standing up. She places a hand over her chest and concentrates. In a moment, the pain seems to be gone and she looks down at me once more. I can tell she is tired now, she must have used a lot of energy to heal herself. My heart twangs again that I cannot help her.

"...W-who are you?" I manage to say.

She looks confused once more. "What do you mean? I am the servant Saber. You summoned me, so I do not think I should need to confirm it." her answer is quiet. I can't tell if she's angry or not.

"...servant... Saber?"

"Yes, so please call me Saber." Her voice is polite, yet gentle. It has a melody all it's own, an I can't help but think that it definitely suits her.

My head is still spinning a bit, but I realize that since she has given me hers, I should give her mine. "... My name is Mayami... Emiya Mayami, and I live here." I add dumbly. I look around at the half-destroyed lawn.

For a moment I'm dizzy, and my knees buckle. I manage to hold myself upright, but I look up to see Saber right next to me looking rather worried. It takes me a minute to realize she has an arm around my waist to steady me, and I flush.

"I... I-I'm okay, I think."; I back away a bit, keeping my head low. '_Seriously Mayami? You just met her, back off. I can't help it, she's so beautiful, I argue with myself_.'

"You are not a formal master, correct?" back to business.

I shake my head. "What is a master?"

Saber sighs. "We'll talk later, this is not the time, nor the place. Regardless, we have made a contract and I will not betray you." She quickly steps forward and wraps her arm around my waist once more, just as my knees give way again. "There is no need for you to be so cautious."

I sigh, and lean against her for a moment until I regain my balance. I stand up, but then grab at my hand. It feels like its burning. Saber's eyes go wide and she pushes me to the ground.

"Stay here, master. There is another enemy nearby, that is what the mark is trying to tell you." She makes to leave. Before I can ask her whats going on, she leaps over the wall. Jumping to my feet I run for the main gate, using the wall as support.

When I come around the corner, all I catch is the end of the fight. Saber is charging at a familiar man in red. Behind them, I catch a glimpse of... no, it can't be. Catching him unprepared, Saber knocks the man's weapons away in a single blow and is about to cut his head off. It seems to happen in slow motion.

"Saber, STOP!" I yell as loud as I can. That uses the last of my strength as I slide down to my knees against the wall. I've never felt this weak before in my life. I know if I close my eyes, I'll be out of it before I have a second thought.

My hand burns, and I notice that the symbol on my hand flashes briefly, before a third of it fades away. Suddenly, Saber is at my side. I see the man in red use the chance to regain his footing, and his weapons flash back into his hand. Saber is furious.

"Are you insane, master?! We should have been able to defeat Archer and his master here, so why did you go as far as using a command seal to stop me?" Saber glowers at me, her eyes flicking back to the pair every so often.

What else could I have done? I can't allow Saber to hurt them, because I know that they are the ones who saved me. There was no one else at the school.

"Master, please retract your order. If you act like this, I cannot defeat enemies that could be otherwise be beaten." Saber looks at me expectantly. She grips onto her sword tighter, and she looks ready to make another attack.

"I...I don't understand whats going on but... Please don't hurt her, Saber." From behind the man Saber called Archer, I see the girl's face light up with surprise. Saber hesitates, looking at me oddly.

"So that's how its going to be, Amateur-san?" I hear her voice filled with harsh-but-politeness, and turn to see Tohsaka looking rather smugly at Saber. For an instant I almost regret stopping Saber, but it passes.

"Tohsaka..." I murmur without looking up. Everything hurts. Why can't anyone tell me whats going on?

"Ah, well since you know me this should be a little easier. Good evening Emiya-kun." She's smiling, but I'm to tired to tell if its feigned or not. She greets me normally, as if nothing is wrong. Like I can just forget all this madness and greet her back.

"You're..." I try to ask her if she's a master too, but... well its sort of obvious now that I think about it. Archer is glowering at me from behind her.

"Yes, I'm a magus like you. We're similar, so whats the use of hiding it right?" she misinterprets my question, and her answer only piles so many more that I want to ask her.

"...a magus?" my eyes are confused. So tired... I just want to sleep now, and then I can wake up in my room and push away this bad dream.

She must have taken it the wrong way again, as her face falls into an angry scowl. "...so that's how its going to be, huh?" she turns away to speak with Archer. I can hear her anger, but in a moment he vanishes. Saber relaxes, but only a bit.

"Let's talk inside. You don't know anything, right Emiya-kun? Well you can rest assured I'll tell you everything, even if you don't want to know." Shes got a big smile on her face, but I can almost see the anger in her eyes like flames. She turns to walk towards my house.

"Wait, wha..." I try to get out, but Tohsaka turns and her smile is no longer a pleasant one.

"Are you stupid? Emiya-kun, it's okay to be surprised by sudden turns of events, but it may cost you your life if you don't just accept them. Incidentally, do you understand that now is one of those times?"

I can't help but stare. This girl is nothing like the Tohsaka I know. I swallow hard, and nod stiffly.

"Good. So, lets go to your place. Your fine with that too, right, Saber? I'll explain things to your master in return for sparing my life."

"...very well. I shall restrain myself as long as you are aiding my master." Saber is angry, but the tension is starting to fade from her. She must have put away her weapon because her hands are no longer clasping it.

Tohsaka walks through the gate and into the house, and I look weakly up at Saber. Without a second thought, she picks me up bridal-style and carries me to the house. It surprises me, she doesn't look a day older then me. Then I realize I had forgotten she isn't human. I laugh to myself, and Saber gives me that odd look again.

To be honest... its rather comfortable in her arms.

* * *

Argh! I've been having some problems when I upload, such as the dreaded """ issue and it's taking me longer to proofread and fix than I'd like. But enough of my whining.


	7. Chapter 6

Saber seems to know where everything is in my house, but I decide not to ask how. Tohsaka is sitting at the small table in the living room, and I'm laying on the floor on the other side. Saber insists on treating my wounds herself, and returns a moment later with bandages and some other things from my first aid kit, along with a small bowl of warm water and a cloth.

She looks so stunning without her armor. It surprised me when it just faded away, leaving her in her elegant blue dress. Tohsaka has been trying to ascertain what I know about the magical world, which is nothing but what I've learned tonight, and she seems to be rather frustrated.

Compared to the beautiful, calm, graceful Tohsaka Rin I know at school, this one is almost frightening. When I see her face and how angry she truly is, I realize that I never want to make her angry again. Right now I'm just glad Saber is here with me, protecting me. Maybe Issei was right and she really is the Devil?

Saber helps me out of my jacket, and a moment later she is unbuttoning my shirt and trying to take it off me. I blush furiously, trying to cover my chest.

"Is somthing the matter master? You seem to be suffering the effects of a fever." Saber says in her calm voice. I can hear Tohsaka trying to suppress her laughter with a hand. Saber gently pushes my arms away and begins cleaning up the blood on my skin with the warm cloth. I have to fight to keep my arms at the sides.

Thankfully, Tohsaka gets up to make some tea in the kitchen, and I relax a little. The warm cloth is heavenly, and Saber is so gentle, so...

"OW!" I cry out as the rubbing alcohol finally makes its way into the cuts and scrapes.

"Master, please hold still."

"Owowowowowow it hurts!"

"Master, the more you move the longer this will take."

After what seems like forever, Saber finally bandages my right shoulder and hand, along with a few across my chest to keep the scar over my heart from reopening again. With the bandages somewhat covering me, I feel a little less embarrassed, but still...

"Master, please remove your leggings."

* * *

It takes awhile, but I manage to pull together a few main pointers on whats going on. It seems I've been dropped in the middle of a centuries old power struggle that takes place every decade or so, known as the holy grail war. Seven magi each summon a servant, a heroic spirit from the past or future that have been bound by the grail. Then they fight, the victor receiving the right to make any wish they desire.

"But I don't have to actually kill anyone, right?" I ask, sipping the tea Tohsaka made. It is delicious, she must have brought some of her own... where was she keeping it?

"No, just remove their command seals" she gestures at the tattoo-like mark on my hand "and they will no longer be able to control their servant. Without the command seals to hold them in this world, the servant will vanish."

"But couldn't they still wait till the end and try to steal the grail?"

"No, the grail is a spiritual manifestation. Only the servants can touch it. So by eliminating the servant, they may no longer touch the grail. However..." Tohsaka looks at me a little coldly. "Servants are powerful beings, much more so then us humans. It is usually common practice to target the master, as they are easier to defeat. Especially one with no magic to protect them."

"But..." I don't know what to say. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me, I don't think I'd ever forgive myself. But I've already seen how far others are willing to go to win this. Rubbing the bandage on my chest and wincing, I look to Saber. No matter how I look at her, I can't think of watching her kill someone... Even though I know she would have done it to Tohsaka without a second thought had I not stopped her.

"Also, you should know something else about the command seals. Servants have their own free will, and are only bound loosely to your commands, with one exception. The marks on your hand, the seals, allow you to make a command that the servant may not go against. However, each time you force them to do something like that, you lose one seal, and you only get three. Once the third is gone, the servant will vanish permanently and you lose."

Saber looks disapprovingly at my hand, and now I know why. Regardless, I couldn't let her hurt Tohsaka like that even had I known, so it doesn't change anything.

"I think you're starting to get the big picture here. You can't run away from this Emiya. You should realize by now what must be done. Hell, you've almost been killed twice in one night... It only gets worse. Actually, I believe you _have _been killed, right? Do you wanna go through that again?"

Something occurs to me. Tohsaka says she is helping me because she owes me for saving her life... I don't think she knows I know it was her who brought me back in the empty hallway. So why is she really helping me? We should have been even already.

"Tohsaka... why are you here?" I can't help it. I have to know. She looks so angry, so annoyed to have to deal with me. But if we're even, why is she doing it?

She looks stunned... and then angry once more. "Have you even been listening to a word I've said?"

"Yes, and its been more then helpful... but why are you here in the first place?"

"You saved my life, idiot. If I don't at least try to beat the basics into you, I'll be in your debt. Debt is not a place I like to be."

"A life for a life..." I whisper, but I know she heard it. She turns her back to us, but not before I see her face pale.

"Quit talking such nonsense... anyway, where was I?" she starts to pace for a minute, like a teacher at school.

"You said servants are like familiars, right? But I thought that the reason creatures such as small animals are used is because their wills are easy to push aside. People or spirits have to much force of will to be used as such... so how is it that they can even exist? Shouldn't they be able to do as they please?" I look at Saber, who is listening in to our conversation.

"Servants are bound and summoned by the grail into existence. A human like you or me could never be able to control sentient beings, especially ones as powerful as heroic spirits... but the grail can. When a servant is summoned, usually one of like mind to the master is chosen by the grail and sent to them. Unless there is a catalyst, something tied to the hero you want, there is no way to have any say at all which hero you receive."

"It also forges a bond between the master and servant, allowing the servant to draw power from the master... but for some reason, the bond between us is barely a trickle." Saber adds, calm as always.

"I'm sorry... I guess its because I'm not a proper master..."

"No, I can feel the power within you, master. It is quite strong, which is why I did not understand when you told me you were not a magus. The problem is the way I was summoned." Saber looks at me, but I do not see and judgement in her eyes. Its like its just a fact, something she thought should be added. It almost scares me, that I can find no emotion in her at all.

"She has... you mean, she has magic circuits?" Tohsaka is surprised. "I don't feel anything from her at all."

"What is a magic circuit?" I ask. It sounds important. Tohsaka turns to me and sits down next to me on the floor. I shrink back a bit, the look she is giving me is rather intense. She closes her eyes and puts a hand on mine. For a moment, we sit like that.

"Your right, its definitely faint, but its there. You may have one or two. Well, I spose its better then none." She removes her hand, lost in thought. A moment later she seems to come back to the present. "A magic circuit is part of your body that creates mana, or spiritual energy. Its what fuels a Magi's spells, and the number you have usually tells how much power you will be able to achieve at your strongest."

"At my strongest?"

"Yeah, obviously the more you have, the more fuel and thus the stronger your spells have the potential to become. A magus with only five circuits will never be stronger than someone with seven, no matter how hard they concentrate. There are exceptions, of course. Mana can be stored in various ways, and can be kept for complex spells that require more then you can generate. I myself always keep some gems on hand." She shows me a handful of small differently colored crystals she keeps in a pouch.

"How many do you have, Tohsaka?"

She snorts. "Emiya, that's like asking an older lady her age. You never tell someone how many you posess, as it gives them an idea how strong they might be compared to you, giving you an advantage in combat." She smiles at my apologetic look and adds "But since your new I'll give you a break. I've got seventeen, which is pretty damn good this day and age. Most of this generation's magi have thinned out their blood. On average, a good magus nowadays has nine or ten."

"And I only have one or two..." I try not to sound to disappointed. Its not like I've needed them so far, since I'm just finding out about them.

"Yup. You can generate a bit of mana, but I wouldn't count on using it on anything."

I sigh. "Then I guess I'm not gonna be much help after all... sorry Saber." So much new information is pouring through my head, and I don't understand most of it. And with what Tohsaka is telling me, it feels like this war is already over for me before I even start, that I should give up. Something strikes me as odd, though.

"Wait a minute, Saber said she could feel a lot of power in me... but you say I only have one or two?"

Tohsaka thinks to herself a moment before answering. "Its possible you have more, but they aren't active. If you've never been taught magic, or never come into contact with it before, then there's no reason they would be active."

"So mine activated when..." I pause, looking pointedly at Tohsaka. I want to make sure she knows what I know. "...When some form or another of magic came into contact with me? Like, a spell?"

She nods grimly, no longer looking at my face. "But its not like you can just get hit by more spells to activate more of them. The force of the mana would just link into the already active ones and distribute the mana accordingly. Whatever is left would just dissipate. The sheer amount of power it would take to... to activate even one, it just can't be brought up out of thin air."

"But it could in theory have been saved in a crystal, or gem?" My hand slides into my pocket to feel the small gem on the necklace. Just how much did she spend to save me?

"I... suppose. But such a thing would still require years of savings, even for someone with as many as me." her voice is barely above a whisper now.

Saber, seemingly oblivious to our hidden conversation, is checking my bandages, making sure they are holding well.

Tohsaka glances up to the ceiling and nods, as if listening to something. "Archer says it may be a good idea to take you to Kotomine church. The man overseeing the current war resides there, and will be able to answer any more questions you have. After that, you can decide what to do from there." She turns to Saber, her earlier confidence back in full.

"So, according to what I've learned, your not in full form right?"

"...That is correct. Since I lack a steady source of magical energy, I will not be able to take spirit form to hide myself, and it will be difficult for me to maintain my power."

Tohsaka looks shocked. "That bad, huh?... I'm surprised you would tell me that, being your enemy and all. I was just thinking of how to find your weak point."

"I do not wish to reveal such a weakness, but I do not believe we can fool you either. So it is better to tell you of our situation, and Master should better understand the position she is currently in." Saber replies.

"Yeesh... a decent personality, too... If I had summoned you, there's no way I'd lose this war." Tohsaka is exasperated. Suddenly she looks over her shoulder and yells "I didn't ask you!"

The last piece of my mental image of Tohsaka Rin crumbles away, and I know I will never be able to look at her the same way again. I make a mental note to forgive Issei all his angry remarks about her. She really _is _a devil in sheep's clothing.

"Alright, lets get going" Tohsaka says, reaching for her red coat.

"Where?" I ask, confused. It's past midnight now, and I ache all over. I need to rest or I'll just collapse again.

"To the church, idiot. Didn't we just talk about this?"

"I didn't realize you meant _now_... I'm sorry, but I don't think that's the best of ideas."

"Huh? You don't want to go?... well, if you say so. But what about you, Saber?" Tohsaka turns to Saber.

"Hold on..." I start, trying to put as much confidence into it a I can muster, "This doesn't concern Saber, don't push her."

Tohsaka lets a wide smirk play across her face. "What, acting like a master already? You don't want me talking to your servant?"

"Its not that, its just... I've got so much running through my head already, not to mention the fact that I'm exhausted and can barely move. The tea helped a bit, but I'm not gonna be able to keep going much longer."

"Then I will carry you. Master, I agree with her. You lack experience. As the servant who made a contract with you, I wish for you to become stronger." Saber stares at me, but it is a gentle stare. Her eyes tell me the concern is for me, not herself.

I can't argue with a statement like that. I sigh, and nod. "Alright... how far is this place?"

"Not far from the bridge leading into Shinto. Think you can make it that far?" she has an evil smile, as if she's enjoying my pain.

"No, but lets go." I try to stand, but just about fall over the table. Saber catches me gently, making sure not to press on my wounds. I wince more at the pain of my pride taking another hit more then the physical pain. "After you..." I gesture toward the entrance, looking at Tohsaka.

She grins, but leaves to wait outside for us anyway.

"Master?" Saber asks quietly, as if sensing I want to ask her something.

"Two things, before we go... Can you please not call me that? I... I'm not doing so well with my pride right now, and it just feels like your rubbing it in my face every time you call me that. I know you're not, Saber, its just me." I add the last sentence as I see the look of concern appear on her face.

"What would you prefer I call you then?" She blinks at me. Apparently the thought never occurred to her before.

"My name would be nice." I manage a weak smile, and she nods. "Second, I... I don't think I can walk all the way there, but I don't want to give Tohsaka the satisfaction of knowing that... is there anything you can think of that would help?"

"Aside from carrying you myself, I do not see any other option." Was that a whisper of a smile on her face? Yeesh, I think she's enjoying this too. I sigh, but nod. I'll go as far as I can before I let her, at the very least.

She puts an arm around my waist to support me as we slowly make our way to the front door.


	8. Chapter 7

It doesn't take long for Saber to just sweep me up, I guess the constant wincing and slow pace finally got to her. I make a show of waving behind her and whispering "Goodbye, my pride. I'll be back for you some day!" It gets me a smile out of both Saber and Tohsaka, so I think it was worth it. At least the accumulated reality-shattering revelations haven't broken my dramatic skill.

After a little while of walking, I start to relax into Sabers arms. It still seems odd, that a girl no bigger then I am is effortlessly carrying me around. It must look odd as well, since Tohsaka keeps sending guarded looks back at us.

Just as I start getting comfortable, I hear a sound as archer appears alongside Tohsaka and whispers in her ear. She makes as if to smack him, but he dodges back and disappears. His laughter echos quietly around us and I see Tohsaka blushing furiously.

So goes our trip. Quite relaxed now, I close my eyes. Saber is so gentle with me a barely feel her holding me.

"How much farther, Miss Tohsaka?" Saber asks in her overly calm tone.

"Not far, just up that..." Tohsaka stops mid sentence. I open my eyes to see her frozen in place, looking up the hill. Saber stops to, and I see Archer materialize next to Tohsaka with his blades drawn. The wind seems to pick up, and my eyes are drawn to the top of the hill before us.

"Onee-chan, you listened!" a youthful voice echos across the street. I recognize that voice

_"If you don't summon it soon, you'll die Onee-chan." _

The silver haired girl in the purple coat stands atop the hill, behind her a great shadow that makes the very air around it seem angry.

"-Berserker" Tohsaka whispers in fear. Even if I don't understand what she means, alarms start to go off in my head. I can feel the dread from around the giant even at this distance. It is a servant, of that I am sure... but it is enormous compared to Saber and Archer.

"Are you feeling okay Onee-chan? You don't look so well." the innocence in this girls voice sends chills up and down my spine. She looks so out of place next to that hulking shadow behind her that it almost feels like I'm dreaming it.

Whats worse, I think, Is the despair on Tohsaka's face. For someone so sure of her own capabilities, that look alone is enough for me to know we cannot hope to win.

"Archer, this isn't an enemy you can take head on. Its best if you fight in your unique talent." she whispers her orders to Archer as Saber softly sets me down against a lamp post.

"Understood. What about your defense? You cannot hope to hold his charge." Even the cocky Archer is tense.

"There are three of us. We can manage if all we need do is defend."

Archer vanishes from sight.

"Emiya-kun, you can choose whether to run or fight... but if you can, try to run. You're in no shape for this." Tohsaka doesn't look at me.

"There is no choice to make" I whisper, though I cannot be sure if she hears me or not. Saber nods, her eyes defiant in the face of certain death.

"Are you all ready yet? Can I start?" The little girl's melodic voice chimes in once more. She laughs playfully. She lifts the corners of her skirt and curtsies in a manner that seems quite out of place in this situation. "Nice to meet you, Rin. I'm Ilya. You should figure it out if I make that Ilyasviel von Einzbern."

"Einzbern..." Tohsaka stiffens.

"You know of me? Good. Go ahead, Berserker." she happily sings the order to her servant.

The massive form flies through the air. In one bound the massive thing called Berserker crosses the dozens of meters from the top of the hill.

In the moonlight, dozens of "Bullets" rain down on the giant like shooting stars. The beast roars, the sound shaking the very ground. The silver lights are extremely accurate, and on closer examination appear to be arrows of a sort.

I count eight shots in only a second, each powerful enough to pierce stone straight through. They could easily mow down a building, but...

"There's no way... they didn't even faze him!"

The giant raises his blade, a great piece of jagged black stone. Saber charges in and parries the strike. With each strike, she slides a farther back, the beast over powering her. Saber's blade is invisible, but I can see the streaks of silver light it leaves behind as it passes through the air. Again and again her blades crashes against the giant, her form unyielding.

Berserker is much stronger, but Saber is matching him blow for blow. Her speed and endurance are the only thing between her and being clove in two.

I note that I'm not the only one in awe. Ilya and Tohsaka are both staring at the pair.

"Archer, back her up!" Tohsaka comes to her senses.

A great silver streak flies through the air and impacts right on Berserker's temple. That shot has to be at least as powerful as a tank shell, it has to do some damage...

"Got him!" Saber slashes viciously as the shot connects, but Berserker suddenly swings a heavy blow at the same time. The blades connect, and Saber is flung aside. Sliding back across the asphalt, Saber tries to steady herself as the black form rushes toward her.

Three more silver shots fly out, and the giant has to stop and deflect them, giving Saber time to set her defense. Howling once more, the brute charges in again. Saber tries to block the swinging blade with her own, but it is not enough.

"Saber!" my scream is meaningless. Saber is thrown up once more, coming down hard on the pavement several meters away. She struggles to her knees, but moves no more.

"This is it! Smash her, Berserker!" Ilya yells. Berserker roars in triumph and rushes toward the fallen Saber.

"Keep firing!" Tohsaka yells to archer and charges in, holding a glinting stone. She must intend to try and help Saber. She yells something in a language I don't understand, and scatters the obsidian stones into the air.

Multiple arrows rain down and at the same time, the small stones flash into huge elongated pieces and fly at the hulking brute. Nothing. Not even a scratch. The giant's blade swings, and Saber bravely blocks it and is flung away once more. She lands dozens of meters away, plowing into the open terrain off the edge of the road.

The black whirlwind follows her. the match has been decided, but he isn't finished yet. He roars and leaps down onto the field. There is nothing I can do, but...

I still feel her hand in mine. Her arms around me. The concern in her eyes.

Her smile as I make a fool of myself.

"There is no choice to make!"

I throw myself up away from the post and run, adrenaline fueling my movements. I run, past an awe-struck Ilya, and slide down the ditch. Stumbling, I regain my footing and look up.

"What the..."

It is a graveyard. What I took for open land is filled with headstones and statues. The giant is swinging madly, and stones go flying each time. In the midst of it, a single brave knight runs through the storm of broken earth and rocks.

The jagged axe-sword rages around. Gravestones are flung aside. Amidst the chaos, Saber flies across the field, circling the giant and striking at blind spots.

I suddenly understand that here their roles are reversed. The obstacles and terrain are advantageous to someone with a small body, like Saber. Berserker is constantly hindered by the standing stones, but Saber flies right through them.

"Get out of the way!" Tohsaka roughly pulls me away. "What are you thinking?! I told you to run away! Or did you not hear me?!" She's furious.

"I can't leave her here!" So am I. How could she even suggest something like that? "For better or worse, she's my partner now. I won't abandon her!"

"What?! You can't fight, you'll only get in the way! It can't be helped if you die trying to make a difference, but its meaningless to die for nothing!"

Somethings not quite right. Something odd, out of place. And I know what it is.

"It shouldn't matter to you if I die meaninglessly or not." I reply coldly.

The sheer chill in my voice surprises even me, and Tohsaka looks like I slapped her. If she's only my enemy and nothing more, what does she care? I push past her and begin to run around the edge of the field to try and get a better vantage point without getting to close.

Berserkers attack smash only through empty space. As small a hindrance as the terrain is, it is definitely tipping the battle in favor of Saber. My fear is almost gone now, seeing her dance through the battle without even dirtying her armor.

I slowly realize that no matter what happens in the future, I know I cannot abandon the girl before me. With her strength, I feel as if I could stand up to gods themselves. I realize now, looking back, that her blocks against Berserker's mighty blade were intentional. She tricked both him and Ilya and lured him onto a battlefield of her choosing.

Suddenly, Berserker seems to lose his footing. Either Saber must have hit him or he is finally wearing down. He roars, and lashes out desperately. Saber easily leaps out of the way, and Berserker is even more unbalanced. Saber readies her final attack-

-but from behind me, from atop a nearby building I feel a growing murderous intent. I turn in time to see a flash of light, and Tohsaka waving frantically at me to get out of the way. Archer, that bastard! I act on instinct alone, rushing straight into the the field.

Saber seems shocked as I grab her arm right before she strikes, and I pull with all my might away from the field. She takes the hint and leaps. Not fast enough. As if in slow motion I see a blazing streak of light fly by and strike Berserker in the chest.

All sound is lost as a great explosion rocks the earth, air, and stone. I push myself between Saber and the explosion. I don't know why, maybe instinct. A dull roar fills my senses and blood trickles out my ears. A blinding pain pierces my back as we fall, but I grit my teeth and endure it.

From the ground, I turn to see the graveyard is ablaze, a small crater in the center. And a shadow stands amidst it all. Not a scratch. Sparks are flying through the air, but all anyone can do is stare at the wreckage. Even the black giant is motionless among the flames.

I turn to look at Archer. I shouldn't be able to see him, but I do. He's smiling. Smiling as if to tell me he wasn't aiming for Berserker at all.

"..Hmm, I have a better opinion of you Rin. Your Archers pretty good." Ilyas voice echoes nearby, but I cannot find her. My head blurs, pain shooting through my back. The black giant slowly begins to move, retreating from the field. The girl giggles. "Goodbye, Onee-chan. Lets play again some time!"

My vision is doubling. Saber's voice is nearby, but so far away at the same time. "Mayami, I thank you for saving me, but you can let go now." I can't move. My head is swimming. "Mayami? Are you- Mayami! Your back!"

"So... tired..." I murmur, to no one in particular. My eyes slowly flicker shut. Finally, I can sleep. I hear agitated voices above me... Saber... Tohsaka... but it's okay. I'll just sleep for a few minutes and it'll all be okay.

"...just a... few..."

* * *

February 3, 2004

* * *

Shelves and shelves and shelves and... something is different. Perhaps its just how I perceive myself now, but something is definitely different about the figures sitting on each shelf. I see them all, and they watch me with bated breath, awaiting their chance on the stage.

The room seems lighter now, as well. An odd blue light, like moonlight streaming through a window, makes watching where you step a tad easier. Still very dim though, I note.

The stage seems to have gotten larder as well, more elaborate. No longer just a raised piece of wood, it has a backdrop. It looks almost like my room, but is crudely drawn on.

_My stage is changing... why now?_

* * *

The morning sunlight streaming through the shuttered windows stabs at my eyes. I try to push myself up off my stomach, I need to get up. I make an 'oomph' noise as I fall back down, no strength to speak of.

"Oh, your awake? If you're all right now, that's good." a soft voice from over to the right.

In an instant I'm up and scrambling away towards a wall. "T-Tohsaka! How... why... ugh" I slide down the wall into a sitting position. My head is spinning from getting up to fast. I look around to try and take in my surroundings. My room likes like it always has, empty of everything but the necessities.

"...you... you carried me home? After I passed out?" my mind finally starts its engine, trying to piece together the flashes of memory from the after the explosion last night... earlier this morning... whatever.

"Wow. You're sharper then I thought. You're confused, but still thinking as well. Yeah, this is certainly interesting."

Was that an insult? Or praise? Probably both, coming from her. She's acting cooly again, the awkwardness between us from the previous night seemingly forgotten.

"... we were able to get away then... good." Tohsaka just nods. After a brief silence, she stands up from beside my futon and waves goodbye. "Where are you going?"

"What, are you still asleep? This is your house, I don't belong here." She says so quite clearly. Her eyes tell me 'We're enemies'.

That's right, that was her agreement. We never made it to the church, but it still stands. Today, we will be enemies once she leaves.

"You're right, I'm sorry... and I apologize for being late, but thank you Tohsaka."

Tohsaka glares at me. You'd think I'd insulted her or something. "Why are you thanking me?"

I smile my best smile. "You helped me, right? I'm even more thankful for that if you're my enemy."

She seems almost sad. She turns back into the room and taps the futon. "Emiya-kun, please come sit." With that look on her face... I pick myself up off the floor and sit next to her. "Look. I'll tell you this one more time since you don't seem to understand. You'll die if you think like that."

"What do you mean, think like that?"

"I'm telling you not to thank your enemies. You'll die a hundred times if you're worried about such a thing. Look, others are just obstacles. Don't think they are like you just because they speak or look human." Her eyes are sharp, her voice strong. She means every word.

In a sense, I suppose she is right. I understand her point of view, but...

"Are you listening to me?! The holy grail war is just a war to kill each other, so don't consider other masters as human beings. Be ready to kill even your own family. Geez, this is the first rule of being a master." she's yelling at me now, annoyed.

"Then why didn't you kill me?"

She opens her mouth, but seems to be stuck. Suddenly her previous attitude is gone, and she seems very much like a mouse who just found out they've been trapped. "H-heh. I just didn't feel like it. I owed you and its not fair to get you while your sleeping. So i just wasn't in the mood." She crosses her arms, looking haughtily off to the side.

"What happened to 'doing everything to win'?" I pounce, she has nowhere to run. Or so I think.

"Yes. So this is a mistake on my part. A mistake I made because I know I'm stronger." She glares at me coldly. "It won't happen again." Standing up rigidly, she quickly leaves the room... but she doesn't know I hear the shuddered breath she tried to withhold, and I can't help but wonder which of us she was trying to convince.


	9. Chapter 8

It takes me a few minutes longer then usual to get dressed, as I have to check over my bandages as I go. The new, larger one across my stomach I can only assume is covering whatever happened to my back, but other then that nothing seems to have changed.

As I do so, my thoughts slide back into what I've learned. Basically, The holy grail war is musical chairs, played with only one chair and seven people to fight over it. It sounds a bit... ridiculous, and I have to fight the urge to laugh as an image of seven armed strangers dance around a golden chair to some hiphop song played on a boom box.

I wonder where Saber is. I realize I havn't seen her at all yet today, so I decide to look for her. I search through the house room by room, and start to worry a little as I can't seem to find her. I even head across the way to the guest house to look around, but none of the rooms look like they have been touched.

As I search, I try to think of what she would be doing but... I realize that I really don't know anything about her. In all the time since we've met, I don't think I've actually had the chance to sit and talk to her. I still don't completely understand who she is or how she even exists, but all I know is that I'm confident we can win this ridiculous war if I stick by her side.

After awhile I step outside and head towards the Dojo. I knock gently as I push the door open to announce my presence, and step inside. Over in the corner I see her look up. I smile. She is sitting in perfect japanese style. Maybe she was meditating. Shes wearing clothes I don't recognize, and I'm almost disappointed she isn't in her beautiful blue dress... but she makes them look good so I can't really complain. she looks... Refined. And it suits her well.

"You are awake, Mayami." she states calmly, rising to her feet. I just now noticed, but she's using my first name. It sounds so strange, with her inflection on it. I like it.

"Yeah, I just got up. How are you holding up?" I blush, realizing that she isn't the one who keeps getting injured. "Err, nevermind, guess that was a dumb question." I shake my head to try and empty out the annoying thoughts that keep floating in, like how beautiful her eyes are, and how graceful she looks even just standing still... Dammit! It's not working!

Surprisingly, she smiles softly. "I am quite well, thank you for asking... Though you are correct in your assumption that it is not me who you should be worried about."

I take a deep breath and wince as pain tingles across my back.

"Mayami." She's concerned about me, but I wave it off. I tense up as our eyes meet again, even though it is only for a moment. I feel like shit, but I need to talk to her while I'm still groggy from sleep or I know I'll be to flustered to think straight.

To late, my mind giggles at me. Shut up!

I gesture to the floor, and sit down. I try to keep my back straight to minimize the pain, but it still must have shown. Mayami, before that there is something I would like to address regarding last night."

As she stands over me, I try not to be to intimidated, and slowly nod. I already know what this is about, so I may as well get it out of the way.

"It is about last night. You are my master. It is troubling for you to take such actions. Battle is my duty, so you must concentrate on your role." I think the most intimidating thing about those words is how calmly she seems to state them. As if she is a teacher chastising a student for a wrong answer.

"I'm sorry, I... I couldn't help it. You were in danger, so I had to do something. You're my partner, for better or worse, and I made a promise to help you in any way I can."

"Impossible... You do not understand what servants are, but you have such faith in me already?" she looks genuinely surprised.

After a few moments, I begin to think I've said something wrong. "Err... Saber?" I wave a hand in front of her face. She shakes her head gently.

"As a servant, I appreciate your words. I would have been dealt a fatal blow had you not intervened. The method was not a good one, but your instruction was." she pauses, looking as if she is trying to choose her words carefully. "However... please refrain from such actions in the future. I can heal my wounds, but you are much more fragile."

The concern in her voice when she says the last sentence is touching. I don't want her to worry, so I nod. "All right, I apologize... It definitely was reckless. I'll try to do better next time." I lower my head in apology. After a moment, I feel her hand on my shoulder. I look up to see her smiling softly.

"That is a good reply, master."

I shake off my blush, and try to think of what it was I wanted to ask her. Oh, right.

"What I wanted to ask, Saber... Oh, may I call you Saber? I just assumed..." that's what everyone else was calling her, but it sorta sounds odd for a name. More like a title.

"Yes. Since I have formed a contract with you as a servant, I am your sword. I shall follow your orders, defeat your enemies, and protect you." Saber says so without hesitation. There is no room for me to question any of it.

"...become my sword... Is that to win the holy grail?"

"...is that not why you summoned me?"

"That was an accident, remember? I didn't even know what magic was at the time, let alone what the grail wars were." I sigh. "I'm sorry you were summoned to such a useless master... but I have decided to fight, so I will. I am an unskilled master, but... are you okay with that?"

"Of course. you are my master, Mayami. This fact will not change. A servant does not have the freedom to choose it's master."

"I know you didn't mean it that way, but now I feel even worse." I laugh at the absurdity of it all.

"Master... I will not allow defeat for you. If you have no chance at victory, then I shall make one for you. I will use any means at my disposal to ensure your success. We servants do not serve a master without compensation. We serve because we also desire the grail."

"I know... which is why I haven't given in yet." Saber looks shocked. Before she can speak, I shush her so I can finish. "Even if I have no wish for the grail I know you're counting on me to stand by you, because you _do_ have a wish. As long as you need the grail, I will stand by you. Besides, I may think of a reason I need it too, eventually. Something tells me I'll have a few days to think on it."

Saber doesn't seem sure what to say. I think she's relieved that I will stay with her to fight till the end, but doesn't understand why if I have no wish for myself. Something she said earlier is bothering me though, and while she's thinking I take the opportunity to ask.

"Saber... you said you would use any means necessary?... Does that mean you don't care what measures you have to take to win? Like..." My mind flashes with images of the great inferno that destroyed so many lives so many years ago, even though that isn't what I had intended... Its strange, that my thoughts would lead there now.

"Mayami, that is not a possibility." she seems to sense what I was thinking. "I can only do things I will allow myself to do. I cannot betray my beliefs. It is against the knight's oath to harm those who are unarmed. But I must obey if you command it so. However, I will require you to use a command seal for treading inside me so."

I'm almost overwhelmed at her anger. At the same time, I am relieved. Her lack of doubt earlier almost made me think of her as a cold blooded killer, but now I know that is untrue.

I sigh, the relief evident on my face. "I'm glad. I wouldn't allow you to do such a thing, and I'm glad you agree. I... I'm really sorry, I insulted you without even realizing it." I hang my head in apology. I seem to be doing that a lot.

I can't see the look on her face, but her voice sounds a bit taken aback. "Ah... no, I leapt to a hasty conclusion without knowing your intentions. You are not at fault, so please raise your head..."

I do so just in time to see a small smile on the corners of her mouth. It quickly fades as her face returns to her natural calmness. A mask, much like Tohsaka's, I think to myself. Except Tohsaka's is a little easier to break through, I haven't the slightest what she's thinking when she's like that.

"Alright, I guess I just have one last question. Saber, Lancer, Archer... I know those aren't really your names, so why do you call yourselves those?"

"Those are the names of the class we hold for the war. It describes the role we fit into with our abilities. There are seven classes, one of each is summoned for the war. Some heroes fit into more then one category, and might be summoned as any they fit... but for the most part, each spirit usually has one class they are suited for."

"So your name isn't Saber, you just happen to be the servant summoned as the Saber class?"

"Correct. Saber is the only role I fit, myself. Heroic spirits, as you probably guessed, are the spirits of champions from the past, present, or future who have achieved some great deed beyond human capability. Whatever the means, we have reached the rank of gods with our own strength."

She doesn't even need to say that, I've seen what they are capable of.

"However, that is also our disadvantage. Being heroes, our weaknesses are recorded along with our deeds. Revealing our names, our identities, also reveals our weaknesses. It will not be a problem fighting a lower spirit, but every spirit has the means to slay others. If our weakness is revealed, then they will surely use it to their advantage."

"I see... so it makes sense not to use your own name. Who else is there then? I've seen you, Archer, Lancer, and Berserker."

"Rider, Caster, and Assassin have yet to reveal themselves to us. Every class has advantages and disadvantages, and that combined with our own powers makes most spirits about evenly matched. Assassin class servants tend to be very weak in comparison to other servants, but they may hide their presence from others, allowing them to sneak in and eliminate the master without the servant's intervention... where-as Caster class servants are physically weak, but are well versed in powerful magic that no longer exists in this age."

"Alright, that makes sense. But in that case, doesn't even knowing their class tell you how to combat them?"

"Not entirely, though it is a start. The problem with such thinking is that you must take into account the Noble Phantasm that each servant carries. It is a unique power or object that only that spirit posses. Heroes are not called as such by themselves, they have a weapon that symbolizes them and makes them a hero. It is a trump card of sorts."

My mind falls back to the man in blue, Lancer. The lance that seemed to draw power from the very air and pierce Saber with impossible movements. That was certainly something not fit for a human. The lance itself carried a powerful curse, but... part of it had to have come from the word he used as well, as if the weapons power is a combination of the weapon and the man using it.

It would make sense, then... no other person could take the spear and use it as he did. That itself is what makes it his symbol. However, the name of the weapon itself must be revealed to use it. This is why it is a trump card. If it is revealed to be used, it also can identify who its owner is. In exchange for revealing its name, the lance launches an unavoidable fatal blow. If it fails, however, the servant has revealed all his weaknesses.

"Then Saber, is your Noble Phantasm your sword?"

"...Yes, but I have not revealed its name. No servant should be able to name me at the present moment." saying that, Saber looks down awkwardly for a moment.

I realize why: _I _don't even know her true name.

"Mayami, I have a request about that matter." I nod, listening. "Usually, servants give their true names to their masters alone, to help determine future plans... However, since it would not make much a difference in our case, I..."

"I understand. I have no defences against the other master's spells, but they can't steal information from me that I don't have to begin with. I'll rely on you to decide when to use your Noble Phantasm." Thinking it over, it seems like the best plan. Tohsaka seemed to know exactly what I was thinking at times, and I wouldn't put it past her to be reading through my thoughts.

"Uh.... um, master... can you really decide so quickly?" Saber seems a bit startled.

I smile at her. "Actually, I've been thinking about it since you brought up the idea of names being weaknesses. I've thought it through, don't worry. my only problem now is spotting other masters in the first place. I can't sense magic like Tohsaka can, I never would have guessed she was a magus."

"Hmm... that could be a problem. Servants can sense other servants when they are nearby, but it is harder to sense them when they are in spirit form. Seeing as how i cannot..." She trails off, deep in thought. Suddenly she looks up at me, her face serious. "Master, can you close your eyes a moment?"

I close them, and I feel her press her hand to my forehead. I feel a prickling sensation, and gasp as an image floods my mind. I see Saber in her armor, with statistics and descriptions of her powers. It takes me a moment to calm myself, but I manage to steady the image and sort the information into a layout I can easily understand.

"Saber, what is that?" The information fades from my view as I open my eyes. I try a few times, closing my eyes and concentrating to bring it back up again until I have it down.

"You and I have a contract, so it is only natural for you to understand my status. What you saw is specific to you, every master classifies things their own way. In other words, what you saw was the information in the most comprehensible form to you. It is a standard concept for a master, so please check it often. Also, if you concentrate you should be able to add to it anything you know about other servants you see, for future reference."

"Its a bit... sudden, but I think I can work with it. Thanks Saber." Maybe now I can at least try to act like a proper master... to bad I was never any good at strategy games. "I'm sorry I'm kinda slow... this is still all a bit new to me."

"... you should not be 'sorry'. If you understand the situation, you should be deciding what to do next." She leans forward, expecting an answer. It seems she's like Tohsaka on this point, attack first.

"I... I'm not sure. Maybe we should stay on the defensive until we know more, perhaps until another master reveals itself to us. I'd prefer to stay away from Tohsaka at the moment, and we're not prepared to deal with Berserker."

"Master, I believe you are using excuses to cover the fact that you do not wish to fight. Do you not have the will to obtain the grail as a master?" Saber narrows her eyes. They are the calm eyes of a swordsman who will allow no disagreement.

"I... I'm just afraid of making a mistake. I've never been in a situation like this before, and I don't... don't know what to do." I admit it, I'm at a loss. Without a clear way to seek out other masters, and no magic powers to speak of, it seems like waiting for someone to find me is the only way to keep going.

Its quiet in the dojo for awhile. I don't know what Saber is thinking, but I can't bring myself to look at her. I feel so incredibly useless that its almost painful.

"Saber..."

"Master?"

"...do you regret your pact with me?"

"Not at all." No hesitation.

"...Thank you." I sigh. At least shes not as angry as I thought she is.

"Master... Mayami... You must still make a decision. I will stand by it no matter what, but for me to do so, you must say it."

"...Until I figure out how I can find other masters, we keep a low profile. You should rest when you can to conserve energy, since I can't help much there either... and..."

"Yes?"

My stomach grumbles. "And I think its time for lunch."

* * *

Since we skipped breakfast and its almost noon, Saber agrees to break for lunch. Since she can't turn into a spirit, and I'm not giving her enough mana, it seems a majority of her energy will be coming from food... or so she says. Personally, I like to believe she just likes my cooking. A lot. As in she would have eaten my share had I not eaten it so fast.

She helps me gather the dishes and bring them to the kitchen, though I insist I clean up myself. Something about the thought of her standing there cleaning dishes just strikes me as odd.

For a while, we discuss her power levels. She is firm in her belief that she will be fine, but I know she will gradually weaken the more she is forced to fight. Not to mention the fact that she will not have access to her Noble Phantasm, it would drain her way to much.

"I know, Saber, I... I just don't want you using it okay? If you push yourself and over do it, you'll fade... and then how will I be able to apologize to you?" We argue for the upteenth time. She is angry that I have forbid her from using her Noble Phantasm, and won't see reason.

Sighing, I place a cup of tea in front of her. Just as she is about to start the argument again, the phone rings. I feel my face blanch, I have a good idea who that would be. Sunday afternoon... and I skipped class. Fuji-Nee will be furious, but the consequences of not answering...

I carefully pick up the phone and... wince, holding it away from my ear as Fuji-Nee's angry voice comes streaming out of it. I push it farther away, as if she might reach a fist through and punch me. I wouldn't put it past her either.

After a few minutes of carefully picked answers and prodding, she finally relents and I hang up the phone. She agreed to let me off the hook, as long as I brought her in some lunch. I sigh, putting the apron back on.

"Saber, I need to head in to school. Can you watch the house while I'm out?" I can feel her right behind me, glowering daggers into my back.

It takes her a moment to respond, but I can tell she isn't happy. "Master, I should acompany you if you are leaving the house. Servants protect their masters. It is to dangerous to let you walk outside alone."

I wrack my brain for something, anything that I can do to convince her, but...

"Further more, you are inexperienced and would not last long on your own should you be attacked. I cannot allow you to do this, master."

"Saber, you can't turn into spirit form. If you follow me around, you'll be like a great big blinking light above my head screaming 'I'm a master!'. Wouldn't it make more sense for me to try and avoid that, at least for now?"

"Then you should remain here, where I can watch over you in safety."

Yeesh, she isn't going to budge. "Saber..."

I finish cooking up a sweet omelet for Fuji-Nee and pack it up with some rice. Walking towards the front door, Saber follows behind me.

"Saber, aren't masters 'sposed to avoid fighting in crowded places, and during daylight hours? The school will be packed with students..." My last ditch attempt at reasoning doesn't seem to be going well...

Saber sighs. "Master, I must remind you-"

Something flickers inside my head. A shelf drops down in front of me. I recognize who that me represents and nod to myself. Only one person can deal with someone as stubborn as Saber.

"Saber, I will _not_ allow this damned war interfere with my daily life. This is _not _something that will be negotiable. You _will _be staying _here _until I return. Are we clear?"

I don't even wait for an answer as I turn and storm out the door. As I turn to slam it shut, I catch a glimpse of Saber's shocked face staring ahead as if she's seen a ghost. As I begin walking, I feel myself relaxing, and the shelf disappears back into the warehouse in my mind.

Hell, it even shocked me. I didn't realize it would be so... easy... to act like someone else like that. Its odd though... I wasn't angry with her, just a bit annoyed. So why did I snap and say something so mean? Thinking back, I frown as I realize my accent even sounded like hers, carrying her inflection into my words. I hope she doesn't think I was mocking her.

Ugh, way to go Mayami... I guess I'll have to apologize when I get home.


	10. Chapter 9

As I cross the gate into the school yard, I have to stop and clutch at my chest. The feeling of wrongness has gotten stronger. It takes me a moment to be able to breathe properly again, but the dread passes. Its odd though, as it almost seems like I can feel someone watching me as cliche as that sounds. I look around, but there is no one in sight.

Just a pair of trees over by the gate.

Did that one just rustle? There's no wind though... I brush it off. After the recent events I've been through I must be getting paranoid. Still, it can't hurt to look. As I slowly make my way to the tree, the feeling gets stronger.

"Hello?" I call out, not really expecting an answer. I look up into the branches, but the leaves are to thick to see through into the upper boughs. "Eh, not like someone could actually climb that, its to high." I mumble to myself. I whistle softly for a moment, and a small blue bird flies down from the tree and lands on my finger.

I can't help but smile and rn a finger over it's soft feathers. "Whats up their in your nest, hmm?" I whisper. When the bird starts chirping and dancing about on my finger, I laugh. "To bad I can't understand. Oh well, I should go before I'm late."

I throw the bird into the air gently and watch as it flies away. Its odd, but the feeling seems to have... changed. Its hard to describe, but it definitely feels different. Less... intense. Oh well. I run toward the archery range with a smile on my face.

When I reach the entrance, I see Ayako leaning against the wall by the door, eyes closed in thought. I grin, and quietly sidle up next to her.

"OHMAHGAWD LOOK!"

I can't help but burst into laughter when she jumps nearly a foot in the air and spins around, trying to find what I'm yelling about.

"Oh, ha-ha Emiya, very funny." She tries to sound angry, but I can see her smiling. She leans forward to give me a hug. "Brought food for the tiger, hmm?"

"Yeah, came to save you all from being eaten." I hold up the bag of food. I can see her mouth watering.

"Wheres mine?" Ayako smirks. I surprise her, though, by reaching into my back pocket and handing her a small wrapped bundle. As I push open the door and head in, I hear a very girlish squeal of delight and can't help but chuckle to myself. She always was a sucker for my homemade cookies.

The inside of the range is as loud as a battlefield, and as soon I walk in a bundle of what appears to be pieces of wood flies by my head. I make a show of ignoring it and striding up to a fuming Fuji-Nee. Before she can speak, I hold up the bag of food.

Before I blink, the bag is gone from my hands and she's smiling like I just awarded her the olympic trophy. Its like watching a child, and I can't help but shake my head at the fact that she's actually a school teacher. Three cheers are had for my name as she runs off to sit in the corner and eat.

This place hasn't changed at all.

"Senpai!" I turn just in time to see Sakura drop her bow and run over to me. I laugh and wave at her.

"Sakura! How are you doing today?" All thoughts of our awkward parting from the other day are forgotten as I see her smiling face.

"I'm fine, Senpai... but what are you doing here? I thought you didn't like being in here anymore?" Sakura seems a bit worried. I look around.

"Its not that I don't like being here, I just don't usually have business here. Today, however..." I point over at Fuji-Nee, devouring the food as if it will escape if she isn't quick about it.

Sakura relaxes a bit and laughs. I hold up a small container in front of her, inside are some rice balls with chicken. Sakura looks surprised, but smiles and accepts it. I know her well enough to know that she would have given Fuji-Nee half her lunch.

Together we walk over and sit down by the edge, just watching people shoot. My eyes wander over the bows, and I can't help but wish I could still come here.

After a while, the place quiets down as Fuji-Nee begins to retake charge. Soon, all that can be heard is the sound or arrows flitting through the air. When Sakura bows and stands to retake her place, I watch as she takes up her bow. She seems to be getting better with her aim, as more then half of her shots are hitting the target. Its a big improvement from a few months ago.

I see part of her problem is in her stance, and I want to go out and correct her, but...

"Go on, Mayami." Fuji-Nee taps me gently on the shoulder. I look up a bit surprised, but she just smiles and nods at Sakura. Was it really that obvious? I stand and quietly walk over behind Sakura, waiting for her to finish her shot. It flies to high and embeds in the padded wall behind the target.

I see a few of the students watching me. Apparently I'm still well known here. I smile. Well, they can watch, I don't care. As Sakura reaches for another arrow from the quiver slung across her waist, I put a hand on hers to stop her.

"S-Senpai?"

"Deep breath." I whisper to her. I slide into position behind her to mimic her stance, one hand softly resting on each of hers. We both blush a bit at the contact, more so when I lean into her back. Despite this, she manages to steady herself and breathe deep.

"Stance." I use my right foot to tap her left into position. She looks down and realizes the mistake in her form. She begins to relax against me.

"Ready." Her left hand raises, holding the bow in position. With gentle force I use my own to push hers a tad higher and to the left. I can feel the tension beginning to fade from her.

"Draw." My right hand follows hers as she reaches for an arrow and nocking it. I press just a tad so her fingers slip into place. She feels so warm in my arms, and I can't help but smile.

"Anchor." Sakura holds the string back with the arrow in place, and this part is perfect. With no correction to make, I nod. Is it just me or is her breathing just a bit faster then usual.

"Aim." she takes another deep breath and her eyes are on the sight. I reach up and tighten it, as it appears to be slanted a tad. She adjusts her aim according to the new angle and I nod once more.

"Release." I whisper, as my right hand slips off of hers and out of the way. Her eyes close, and a moment later her arrow flits through the air... and impacts dead center of the target.

"...and Follow Through." Sakura relaxes and opens her eyes. Her jaw drops as she sees her arrow in the target. I smile and gently step back from her. After staring at the target for a moment, she turns to me.

"Senpai..." she says in an awed voice.

"Don't look at me, you shot it." I smile.

Sakura's lip quivers a moment, and suddenly she pulls me into a tight hug. After a moment, she lets go and I see the biggest smile I've ever seen her smile slide across her face.

"Damn, Emiya... how come you never taught _me _to shoot like that?" I turn to see a majority of the archery club standing behind Ayako, who begins clapping. Soon after, most of the club follows suit, including myself. Sakura looks like her face is going to explode, shes blushing so hard.

"Alright, back to work you lot. If we can all shoot like Matou-san, then we can take that cup! Chop Chop!" Fuji-Nee shouts, and the crowd scatters. She walks up to us and puts a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "That was a good one, Sakura."

Sakura just smiles shyly. "Umm... Senpai? Would you, um, like to shoot for a bit?" she asks a bit hopeful. I smile at her and nod. I'm not in uniform, and I don't have my own bow with me but Ayako just nods at me encouragingly. Sakura bows happily and hands me her bow and quiver.

I slowly go through the steps, making sure to check them twice. I havn't shot in a long time, so I can't afford to get lazy about it yet. My arrow flits through the air... and lands in the farthest out ring from the center. I blink.

"Emiya, you havn't kept on practicing have you." Ayako is laughing. I shake my head. Sakura is standing off to the side, confused. I fire again, this one hitting the opposite side, but still the same ring. I sigh.

"Eh, I should practice a bit more often, looks like I'm rusty."

Sakura is even more confused now. "But, Senpai... you... you shot for me?"

"No, you shot, Sakura. I just showed you how." I smile, and Sakura blushes deeply again. She's happy, and seems to finally accept it. A bell rings, and slowly the students filter into the change rooms. Eventually all that are left are me and Ayako.

"Rusty, my ass..." she finally blurts out to me. I smirk at her.

"You understand that half of archery is the confidence that you can hit the target, yes?"

It slowly dawns on Ayako. "So then..."

"She should show some rather good improvement next time she shoots. Keep an eye on her, you may have another Emiya to deal with." My eyes slide shut. My hands fly to the quiver for an arrow, as I whirl around and slip into my stance. The arrow flits through the air.

Ayako and I both hear the ding as the metal shaft strikes the one already embedded in the center.

* * *

As the sun sets, I stare up into the sky.

I'm not sure what to do. Recently my mind keeps wandering places I don't think it should. The image of Sakura's body pressed against mine... Of Saber holding me in her arms as we walk... Of Tohsaka walking in front of me, her cute little... Ah! Stop it Mayami!

Maybe its just hormones, I think.

But what if it isn't? Am I turning into some kind of perv? Do I really want it to stop if I am?

The last thought makes me sigh. My brain is obviously against me, so I may as well drop it for now. I look over to see Fuji-Nee and Sakura walking towards me. I suddenly realize: Our usual routine would be to walk back to my place and have dinner... but what about Saber? They don't know she's here.

"Is something the matter, Senpai?" Sakura's face is full of concern. I guess she can read me too... maybe I'm just losing my touch.

"Well, sorta... we need to talk." I look at both of them, to make sure Fuji-Nee understands she's a part of this. "I know its a bit sudden and all, but I have a guest staying at the house. She'll be with us a few days."

"A... guest?" Sakura's face falls sharply. It almost reminds me of the look when she saw my mark. Two and two click together as I link those facts together. She knows something about all this. I decide to let it be for now, I don't want to involve Fuji-Nee in this mess if I can.

"She's the daughter of a friend of father's. She needed a place to stay for a few days while she's in town, so I thought I'd let her stay with us. Please give her your best regards." I explain. I'll have to fill Saber in as soon as we get there so she can play along.

"What is her name?" Fuji-Nee is looking at me suspiciously.

"I'm not exactly sure why, but she goes by Saber." at least that part is the truth. I wish there was something else I could call her, Saber isn't exactly the most common name. You'd think this all powerful grail-thing could at least give them an alias.

"...Saber...-san?" Sakura mutters, looking past me.

All is quiet for a while, when Fuji-Nee hits me with a surprise attack.

"Do you like her, Mayami?"

The way she asks, I can obviously tell that she means romantically. I spin, mouth agape, and almost fall right over.

"Its not like that! She's just a friend! She's like my sister for crying out loud!" I dunno why I shouted, but now it looks even more incriminating with the blush spreading across my face. Sakura is looking away, and Fuji-Nee is grinning madly. "Ugh, your terrible, Fuji-Nee..." I pout and start walking again.

Why did I lose it like that? Is it because it might be true? I sigh. That's it Mayami, dig the hole a little deeper.

* * *

To sum things up, Saber's stay was approved. Sakura was silent the entire time, but... It seems she understood in the end.

I put a little extra effort into dinner tonight, both as a welcome to Saber and a thanks to Sakura. The rather large dinner begins and ends without a single word. I sigh as I wash the dishes alone in the kitchen.

I wasn't exactly expecting a cheerful dinner from the very first day, but... couldn't there have been at least a bit of conversation? Cleaning up after four people takes a bit of effort, and I can't help but feel there is meaning behind the fact that Sakura doesn't come to help.

When I finish, I look at the clock. Its about 9, and I walk into the living room to ask Fuji-Nee if she can walk Sakura home.

"I can't do that tonight." Is all the response I get.

"Uhh... why? Do you have something that needs doing?"

"No, its because I'll be staying here starting tonight." She speaks as if its already been decided.

I blank. Did she just... I mean, she... Seriously?

"Excuse me?" I manage to ask, my face incredulous.

"How about you join us, Sakura-chan? I can contact your place if you want. Its more fun for all of us to be here, right?"

"Yes please! Thank you, Fujimura-Sensai." no hesitation. They've been planning this all along, haven't they?! My eyes meet with Saber's, and she nods in understanding. This is a very bad idea.

"Excellent! We can use the tatami room in the back! There's enough futons for all of us. That's fine with you, right Saber-chan?" Is it just me, or did that sound like an order? Saber looks at me as if asking for help.

I groan, almost ready to start clawing out my own eyes. It just like them to pull a stunt like this, but this time I can't smile and pretend I don't mind.

"Excuse us one moment." I didn't mean to sound so angry, but it slipped. I storm past Fuji-Nee and gently pull Saber with me to the next room over and close the door.

"Mayami, we cannot allow this."

"I know, but once Fuji-Nee has her mind set on something, she'll never change her mind. You might have to tough this one out just for tonight."

"Mayami..." She is concerned. She wants them to get involved about as much as I do.

"I know..." I sigh. And today was going so well, too. Suddenly I realize I never got the chance to apologize to Saber for what I did. "Saber, listen... about what happened earlier today, I-"

"Now is not the best time." Her eyes narrow at me, but I don't think she's angry. "Sakura is listening in on the other side of the door."

I nod. Tiptoeing to the door, I quickly pull it open and casually walk past a stunned Sakura.

I quietly leave Saber to her fate, offering her one last apologetic look as she is caught between Sakura and Fuji-Nee. Walking to my room, I calmly slide the door shut... and fall to a sitting position, covering my face with my hands.

I didn't want the war to interfere with my daily life, but...

Now it looks like its really the other way around.


	11. Chapter 10

February 4, 2004

* * *

I'm standing in front of a mirror. A plain old rectangular mirror. And I've never been more frightened in my life.

The girl in my reflection, she isn't me. She looks like she's seven or eight years old, and she is covered in soot and burns. She stands there, looking at me. Her long red hair is burnt away in places, and her hazel eyes stare into my own.

I know her. She isn't me, but she is. Her eyes are empty, lifeless...

In them, I see flames.

* * *

I awake with a yelp, soaked in cold sweat. The dream is fading so quickly, and I can't even remember what she looks like.

But those eyes...

I know I will never forget those eyes.

I shake off my uneasiness. Now Isn't the time. I rub the sleep from my eyes, and realize I never undressed. I fell asleep sitting in the corner of my room. My limbs are stiff as boards, and my back aches from sitting there all night. I groan.

"Are you alright, master?"

My eyes fly open to see Saber sitting right next to me. She has her concerned look in her eyes. I guess she must have heard me wake up like that.

"S-Saber? What are you doing here?" I stumble while trying to get up and instead just fall onto my butt. She puts a hand on my shoulder, and I look back at her.

"You sounded as if you were in pain, so I came to see if you were alright."

"I... It was just a dream..." My eyes turn to the floor. I'm ashamed that she caught me in a weak moment.

Saber looks at me quietly for a moment, before sliding forward onto her knees. She takes my left hand in her right, clasping it tightly. I look up at her in curiousity. She has a serious look on her face, but her eyes are closed.

"There is no shame in fearing what your mind reveals to you in sleep, only in allowing such things to affect you after you awaken." Her eyes open and meet mine, and I feel a blush start to spread across my cheeks.

I smile. She's right, what matters is that I don't let it get me down. "Thanks Saber."

She smiles softly for a moment, but then lets my hand go as her face becomes serious again. "Mayami, please lay down. I need to change your bandages."

Ack, way to break the mood. Oh well... I try to lay down, but groan again as my aching body refuses to cooperate with me. It takes me a minute, but I manage to slip off my shirt and lay down. Saber carefully peels away the old ones and... Is that a blush I see on her cheeks?

A little self conscious still, I cover my chest. Saber looks confused for a moment, and pushes my arms out of the way. After a moment she looks up at my face.

"Master, it appears that your wounds have... healed." Her voice is surprised.

"What do you mean? They're doing better?"

"They no longer exist. I don't even see a scar." I feel her run a finger along where there once was a hole to my heart, though I'm to stunned to blush as her hand strokes across my breast like that.

"Saber, did you use some kind of healing spell on me? I mean, they shouldn't have healed yet."

"I have done no such thing. It's strange, it almost feels..." she trails off, shaking her head. "Master, let me see your back please."

I roll over and feel her hands run down my spine as well. I don't feel any pain.

"This one as well... there is still a scar here, but it is almost completely faded."

I manage to sit up and cover myself with my shirt. "How is that possible?"

"I'm not sure. Has this ever happened before?"

"No, I used to get cuts and scrapes all the time, even got shot in the shoulder with an arrow. This is definitely new."

We both ponder for a few minutes. Well, I suppose its not a bad thing, but its not somthing I'd like to rely on. I look at her, and then I remember last night's hushed conversation.

"Saber, about yesterday again... I never did have the chance to apologize to you. I really am sorry."

She looks up at me, a frown lining her lips. Apparently she had forgotten. "Master, when you said that, did you feel any different?" She asks a strange question.

"Err... no. A little angry that you wouldn't listen to me, but... why?"

Saber looks puzzled, and she looks at the floor, lost in thought.

"When you spoke to me, I thought for a second that I saw myself. Your hair was the color of the sun, like mine, and your eyes... but when I looked again, you appeared normal. I thought perhaps I imagined it."

The memory passes through my mind. The shelf stopping in front of me in my mind. The odd voice I used. The sudden change in emotion.

"I... don't think so. You're right, it was odd... it definitely didn't feel or even sound like me that said it. I didn't mean to be so angry, I just wanted you to understand."

Saber looks as if she is about to comment, but stops as her eyes move to the door. "Sakura is awake. We will talk more later."

"Alright... could you do me a favor and tell Sakura that I won't be able to help with breakfast? I need a warm bath before school, or this stiffness will kill me." Saber nods softly, though giving me a look that says she isn't happy about me going to school.

I slip my dirty shirt back on, just till I get to the bathroom. Grabbing a clean uniform from my dresser, I make my way towards a bit of warm, soapy bliss.

* * *

It takes some effort, but I manage to convince Saber to let me go to school alone. There were, of course, some rules.

Stay in populated areas.

Come home before dark.

If I'm in danger, use a command spell to summon Saber instantly.

Stay away from Rin.

I sigh, especially at the last one. Yeesh, the look on her face... I'm beggining to think it's jelousy, not this whole grail war thing. I laugh to no one in particular. It can't be true, and I know that.

Can't it?

Shaking my head, I wander towards the main gate. As I pass through, I feel IT again.

I can't quite understand it, the feeling is... Dull. As if the trees, people, and buildings have lost their colors. Even the students. This place is lifeless. Whatever is going on here, it's getting worse. Maybe I should do somthing... but what? Last time I started poking my nose around here, I died.

After a few moments, my body adjusts and the feeling is no longer noticable unless I think about it. I push it out of my mind and head towards my class.

And walk right into Tohsaka as I turn a corner in the stairwell. I would have been fine, but seeing it is her that I walked into my body stiffens and I lose all balance. I let out a gasp, falling spectacularly off the bottom step and onto my rear, my back slamming into the stairwell wall.

She seems almost as stunned as I am, but glares angrily at me as she quickly runs off. Several boys come over to offer me help up, but I'm not exactly in the mood to deal with them. Just as I'm about to slap some second year, Issei pushes through to my rescue.

In one quick movement, he pulls me up and leads me toward the student council office. My back is screaming in protest, but I know it will be much easier if I move quickly.

Closing the door behind us, Issei makes his way to the small fridge/freezer in the corner and grabs an icepack. Wrapping it in a small hand towel, he hands it to me.

"Are you okay, Emiya? That was a hell of a spill." I can see the concern behind his glasses, and I smile.

"I'll live to fight another day, I think. Thanks for the timely rescue. Had you been a few seconds later, that Nayaki boy would be here to with some ice for his face." We both laugh.

"Who was it that knocked you over?"

"Hmm, well... she looked kinda like... THAT!" I gasp and point behind him dramatically. He whirls around to look at the mirror, and we both laugh again. "Actually, I walked into Tohsaka, but I was surprised and lost my balance."

"Well since it was Tohsaka, then we can just say... that she viciously pushed you down a flight of stairs. Sounds a bit better, no?"

"Ahaha, maybe. Makes me look less of a clutz, at least." I glance at the clock, seeing homeroom is about to start. "Thanks for the ice, Issei, but I should get going."

"Nonsense. I'll let your teacher know where you are, so you can rest a few moments before leaving." Without letting me get a word in edgewise, he turns and leaves the room.

Well, at least I can rest for a few minutes.

It dosn't take long before I can't feel any pain at all, and this mornings talk with Saber drifts back into my mind.

"Regenrative powers, huh? Spose it can come in handy." Placing the icepack back in the freezer, I make my way to close only ten minutes late.

* * *

As I push into the student council room for lunch, I see Issei with his head on the table. He explains he hasn't been getting any sleep lately, or more like... he's sleeping but waking up still as tired as before. He's been sleeping every chance he can get, and apparently that includes lunch.

"Just wake me up before the bell, will you?" he asks as he lays his head back down on his arms and his eyes slide shut.

I unpack my lunch and begin eating, but a moment later there is a knock at the door. Issei mumbles a quite 'nobody home...' but I get up to answer the door anyway. When I see that its Kuzuki, I quickly bow my head in respect and step aside. I hear Issei scramble to his feet and do the same.

Kuzuki patiently waits for Issei to rub the sleep out of his eyes before beginning. "Ryudou. It is about the archery club this morning."

"Huh? Then she never made it home?" Issei looks almost afraid.

"Correct. We will probably call the police. I believe you know, but do not spread the rumor." I see Kuzuki glance at me as he speaks.

"What about Matou? The student said in the archery club said he saw her and Matou together."

"The same. Shinji is absent today, and his house is empty. His sister, Matou Sakura, was staying at Fujimura-Sensai's house last night, so she does not know anything."

A student at the archery club has gone missing? This is news to me. I guess the staff are keeping it under wraps for now. Whats more disturbing is the news of Shinji's disappearance as well. I just hope he dosn't have anything to do with this.

"Sorry to interupt. I am sure the school's curfew will be set an earlier time now." Kuzuki turns and leaves, his face the ever-same scowl.

Issei turns to me. "Your friends with Shinji right? you haven't seen him recently?"

I shake my head. "Did notice that he was absent today, but I didn't realize it was big deal. He misses school every so often, so I didn't even think twice."

Issei face clouds up. This can't be good. I know Shinji, but I didn't think he'd go so far as kidnapping someone.

"Issei, who's the student thats missing?"

He sighs, his look clearly stating he didn't want to tell me. A chill runs up my spine.

"Well... I suppose you should know, you'll find out sooner or later. It happened last night, we got contact from a family and they said that their daughter never made it home. When we talked to the archery club students, we found out that Shinji was the last one to talk to her. One of the students had gone back to get something that he'd forgotten, and he saw Shinji arguing with her."

The cold is reaching tendrils all over me. There's only one student who stays that late after club is over. My throat feels like its closing up. "Issei..."

He sighs, closing his eyes. "Its Ayako. Mitsuzuri Ayako is missing."


	12. Chapter 11

Classes end. I don't know if today's incident is the reason, but clubs are closed. Since theres no reason to stay, the students all hurry home. Except me.

I make my way to Ayako's class, I wanted to ask some of her friends if they knew anything.

They didn't.

As the students slowly filter out of the school, I stare out the window. I spent the whole day fighting back the tears, but now that no one is here to see them I finally let them go.

Ayako is my closest friend... My confidant... I have to find her. I have to...

I don't know how long I was standing there, quietly weeping.

"Coming to school without your servant. Are you sane?" A voice breaks my solitude, and I turn angrily to confront the girl standing on the stairs. I don't even bother to wipe away the tears. In my current condition, I'm more then willing to pick a fight.

Tohsaka seems a bit taken aback at the sight of my face, but doesn't move from her position.

"Its like asking for others to kill you, you know... Do you know how stupid you are, Emiya?" She pulls up her left sleeve as she speaks. A sprawling, glowing blue glyph is revealed, spanning across most of her forearm. I can feel the magic flowing from the marks, and I know without a doubt that it is a weapon. Against such a thing, I have no defense. My fury is quite suddenly quenched as I realize this, and Rin smiles as it becomes apparent on my face.

"I told Archer to go home. The 'Gandr Shot' in my crest should be more then enough to deal with you." There's no emotion in her voice. She must be quite serious now. Her arm starts to weave and instinct takes over. I kick off the ground and fly at her, somehow dodging the spiraling darkness she fires at me. My shoulder connects with her stomach as I tackle her... but for some reason, I automatically try to cradle her head so she doesn't hurt herself.

Tohsaka makes a loud 'oomph' noise as she is pushed to the ground. Our lips brush against each-others for a second as I fall onto her, and she freezes with her eyes wide. Using this opening, I kick off again and run as fast as I can toward the end of the hall.

I can't help but lick my lips and smile. I hadn't meant to, honestly.

Liar.

Not now, Mayami!

Another dark shot flies by me, apparently she has recovered. The tempo increases, more and more shots are whizzing by, looking much like black glowing bullets now.

"Hold still, dammit!" she yells. Sooner or later my luck is going to run out, and the small smoking craters that the bullets are leaving look a tad painful. I won't make it to the end of the hall, so I duck into the nearest classroom and slam the door shut.

Wait... nice going, moron! Now I'm trapped. I run to the window, thinking I can escape out it, but suddenly I see a barrier creep across it from the other side. She doesn't want me escaping. I'm trapped, and I can hear Tohsaka chanting on the other side of the door.

I run. I know it won't help, but I run anyway. The warehouse is so large, and there are so many shelves... but none of them helpful. I try to push it out of my mind, my dream isn't exactly the thing to be thinking about right now. I try and rush the door, hoping to surprise her, but it won't budge. I can feel the heat rising in the room, and can see the walls beginning to glow red.

A self slams down in front of me. What good would it do? I shake my head trying to clear the thought away.

Suddenly, a scream is heard.

The walls stop their menacing glow and the barrier disappears. I push my way into the hallway and notice Tohsaka looking quite confused. "If it wasn't you, then..." I trail off, and in unison we run for the stairwell. It sounded like it came from the first floor, so that's where we head.

At the bottom, we turn the corner to see a girl laying on the floor not far away. Next to her, the emergency exit is slightly ajar. Tohsaka drops to her knees at the girls side, and I push open the door to look around.

"I can help her, but it might take a few minutes. It looks like somone was trying to drain her lifeforce away." Tohsaka says quietly. I turn to face her, but from the corner of my eye I see a streak of silver from outside.

"Tohsaka!" there's no way she can dodge it in time, so I do the first thing that comes to mind.

I throw my arm between her head and the object.

I yelp in pain as the sharpened metal stake pierces my right arm just below the shoulder. I see my blood spatter across Tohsaka's wide eyed face as I grit my teeth. I reach to pull out the object by the chain attached to it, but it disappears. That _hurt_.

"Stay with her!" I shout as I turn and take off out the door. My fury from earlier resurfaces as I unthinkingly run off into the forest behind the school.

Chains.

As I run, I can hear them rattling. I slow down and look around. Suddenly I see a flash of blue in the brown in red, a smirking face. Shinji? I look again but its already gone. I hear the chains again, and turn. I groan and grab at my arm. The blood is getting everywhere, and my right arm is starting to feel sluggish.

Instinct tells me to drop and I do, and a second dagger-nail like the first cuts through the air where my throat would have been. Then I am alone again.

I cough. I guess I wasn't fast enough, as I can feel a bit of blood gathering on the skin. Just a scratch. I spin and roll away in time as a second and I feel the breeze as the weapon flies by my head, leaving another scratch on my cheek.

I spin and look at my attacker. A tall woman with beautiful lavender hair that drops to her knees stands before me. She wears a black leather outfit that doesn't leave much to the imagination, a skintight shoulderless-dress-with-very-short-skirt, with long arm sleeves that almost reach her neckline, and matching thigh-high leggings. A red symbol is on her forehead, but I don't recognize it. Below that, a black blindfold keeps me from seeing her eyes.

She smirks as I look her over, and I don't realize right away I'm blushing. Then she is gone. Dammit, she's a servant. A human can't move anywhere near that fast. From above I sense an attack, and dash aside. Her movements are captivating, and I can't help but stare as death approaches. She's like a spider, jumping through the trees as if she is sticking to them.

I run, looking for a better defendable position. I hear the chains, and look around. I don't see her anywhere, but that doesn't mean she isn't here. I wish I had a weapon.

_CRASH!_

The shelf comes down before me so hard that I can almost feel the inside of my head hurt.

"Not now!" I scream at myself in frustration.

"Why not?" A sultry voice from right behind me whispers, her breath tickling my ear. I spin, but see nothing. I hear her soft laugh echo through the forest, accompanied by the rattling of chains... for some reason the sound makes me think of a rattlesnake taking aim at its prey.

"Dammit, your playing with me!" I yell at her. She laughs again.

"Why haven't you used your command seal?" I hear her whisper from right above me. My head jolts up and she is there, right in front of me. She leans forward, upside down, and licks along my cheek before disappearing again.

I bring my left hand up to my cheek, it feels warm. The cut is no longer bleeding, and there are no more traces of my earlier tears. Dammit I'm going to die, she's going to kill me... so why am I blushing like a little girl with a crush?

"I can't afford to use one for something as trivial as this. I don't have as many as I'd like left." I try to put as much confidence into my voice as I can, but even I hear it break at the end.

"Well, at least I'll admit your braver then my _master_." she seems to spit the last word out with distaste. She sighs sadly, and I can feel the honesty in it. "Well, I suppose I should stop the games. I cannot play with a master if she won't use her servant. I guess I'll have to kill you quick."

The chains echo from all around. She's coming. Knowing I can't fight back, I make a run for it. It's not far to the edge of the woods, maybe if I can...

She's right behind me, less then a foot. I can feel her. She's right there. Why doesn't she strike?

"That's as far as you go." Her beautiful voice whispers in my ear. I fall. I didn't lose my footing, so why... My arm aches, and I look to see the nail in it. The chain attached seems to have a mind of its own, and I'm being pulled up against a tree as it hoists me into the air. I scream in pain. How is that thing still there?! I look down at her, the black demon before me... and she seems very sad.

She stands there, not looking quite at me, with her right hand's fingers gently pressed against her lips. Even with the pain coursing through me, I can't help but think she looks so... divine. Like a goddess. Her hand slides away and her head turns to face me, still sad.

"You... were crying?" she asks in just a whisper. Her sultriness is gone, and it almost sounds as if she's on the edge of tears herself. I don't understand why, but I cannot hate her, cannot ignore her. I nod, and she looks a bit sullen. "I'm sorry." she turns away as she readies her weapon.

I close my eyes. If only I was stronger, or... or had a weapon, or...

...or if I was like her.

A shelf drops behind my eyes. Inside my mind I smile. Even if I have only a few seconds to live, why not? Saber said it herself, she saw me in her. Maybe, for just a few seconds, I can be a goddess too. I reach out and touch the me sitting on the shelf.

A moment later I look around. I can feel the air around me, taste it. Without opening my eyes I can see all around me. I turn to 'look' at the nail in my shoulder. Why is it there? It should be here, with me. I reach up with my right arm to grab the above branch, letting the binding chain slacken, and I use my left arm to pull out the nail-dagger.

Dropping to the forest floor in a crouching position, the chain coils up around my left arm waiting for my command. I grip the dagger, gently bringing it closer to my face. It smells so... I press my lips to it, lapping at the blood.

Divine...

I 'look' over at the woman and smile as I see her face in awe.

I want to play with her.

I slide into a ready position, and I laugh happily as she does the same, smiling. We leap, the small distance closing fast. We dance together through the forest, never parting. My arm hurts a little, but I don't care. I'm having to much fun to care. I don't want it to end.

We have to adjust our style a tad, we're not used to fighting with just one blade, but we manage.

From tree to tree we go, our long hair blowing in the breeze we make as we speed along the forest.

Steel meets steel meets steel meets steel meets steel. I can taste the sparks in the air.

Small nicks here and there, but I don't care. She's more important than the sweet blood, more fun.

We spin and parry, dodge and strike. I want it to go on forever.

We press together, trying to throw the other away, and I can feel her warmth, taste her pulse.

We separate, entwine, our blades kiss. Rapture.

We close once more, our lips so close. We push with all our might...

...But I slip up. My arm hurts. My strength falters, and she forces me back against a tree. Her blades sinks into the bark as I tilt my head away, and dart forward to capture her lips in my own.

We drop our weapons, no longer needing them for this dance. I wrap my arms around my goddess as we gasp for breath. Our lips meet again, and I feel her hands around my waist holding me close. Her knee slides up between my legs and I gasp, biting down on her lip till it bleeds in response. She moans, and together we lap at the small cut. She tastes like the heavens themselves, my giddy mind notes. Her knee press a little harder, and my own hand slides down her body as...

"Emiya?" I hear a voice call. No! Nonononono It can't end now! She leans away and I whine. I try to pull her back, but she gentley pushes my hands away and reaches for her daggers. Turning to stand between me and the approaching Tohsaka, she smiles happily at me.

I cry. I want to play! I feel a soft ache between my legs. I wasn't ready to stop!

With her no longer holding me to the tree, I fall to the ground. My strength is gone, has been for awhile. I just didn't care. But now, I can't even stand. As my mind slowly slips into unconsciousness, I can't help but smile and lick my lips as I note the droplets glistening between my goddess' thighs.

I did good, didn't miss a single step.

I like our dance.

* * *

When my eyes flicker open, I'm on my back looking up at Tohsaka's face. She's so close... I lean up for a kiss.

"Wha- Emiya!" She stumbles back. Wups, I'm not thinking straight.

_Straight? As if. _

Shut up, you.

"Err... sorry Tohsaka... still a bit groggy." I can feel the dampness between my legs, and I'm so worked up I'll be lucky if I can walk properly. I'm embarressed and a bit ashamed, but I can't help but smile. My mind keeps wandering to what could have happened if Tohsaka had just left me.

"Hey, whats with the grin? Wake up Emiya!" Suddenly I feel a jab at my wounded arm and I wince. I look over to see a Towel wrapped around my wound. The bleeding seems to have stopped, and I try and sit up. Tohsaka puts her hand on my neck to check my pulse, and murmurs a quiet spell. I feel some energy wash over me, like adrenaline.

"Thanks for patching me up... and, err... saving me." I say awkwardly. Tohsaka is scowling, but won't look directly at me. I push back a laugh. Even if she acts so cold, I know she's a good person.

"Whatever... Just tell me about the servant. Did you find out who her master is? Or who she is, for that matter?"

"No, not really. Err... Tohsaka, how much of that did you see?" she still isn't looking at me, and I get the feeling that maybe she saw more than I'd like.

"Huh? Oh, you mean you being pinned to the tree? Yeah, your lucky I found you just then. You sounded like you were in a lot of pain. Maybe that'll teach you to run off to fight a servant on your own. Idiot."

Well, that saves me a bit of embarressment. But why does she sound so put out? I steal a quick glance at her. Her eyes are all red, like she's been crying.

"Hey Tohsaka, are you okay? You don't look to great. Did something happen?"

"Wha-, no, of course not. I'm just tired from chasing you all over the school." she 'hmphs' at me and stands.

Yeah, now that this all over and done with, I suppose that's all that's left. "Tohsaka..."

"What."

"Are we... going to finish... you know, earlier?" I suppose there's no stopping her now. I'm to tired to move very fast, and I definitely can't beat her.

"...No, that's it for today. I'm not in the mood anymore." brushing the dirt off her knees, she turns to me. "Lets go. I know it hurts, but bear with it until we get to my place." She holds out her hand to me, as if to help me. Suffice to say I'm a bit shocked.

Not shocked enough to pass up help, of course. I stagger to my feet. My head is swimming, but as long as I concentrate, I can keep my balance. "What do you mean your place? I need to get home, I..." I stumble and she reaches out to steady me.

"Hey now, you'll die of necrosis if we leave that wound be. It'll be my fault if you lose that arm." she pulls on me as if to say _don't talk back _and we start off towards the school, and from there, home.


	13. Chapter 12

I look up at the extravagant mansion, dumbfounded. I thought I was used to seeing this kind of place after spending as much time as I did in the Matou residence, but this place has a taste all its own. The place feels... cold. Much like it's owner.

"Emiya-kun? The entrance is this way."

My legs finally start working again, and I follow after her, a bit tense. I'm not quite sure whether it stems from entering the territory of another master... or if its just because I'm going into Tohsaka's house.

As I step inside, I note that it looks just as extravagant as the outside does, if a bit... well, it feels like a museum. Look but don't touch. Following Tohsaka I step into the parlor. She gestures for me to sit down, and she carefully unwraps the towel to take a look at the wound.

"Huh? Hey, do you have a healing charm on you? The wound is smaller now." She sounds surprised.

I shake my head. "My other wounds have healed too, from the other night. I'm not sure how. It's not like I can cast any spells, so I don't know who's doing it."

"...Hmm, the only reason I can think of would be your contract with Saber. I've heard there are some servants who pass abilities on to their masters. It could be that Saber's healing power is flowing into you." Tohsaka's face is scrunched up in thought, and I can't help but notice how cute she looks like that. I just want to reach out and...

Knock. It. OFF!

Why? Afraid of the truth?

...

"Emiya-kun? You there?" Tohsaka pats my bandaged arm. I guess she finished while I was arguing with myself.

"Yeah, sorry. What did you say?"

"I asked if you'd like some milk or sugar in your tea?" she's smiling at me, not her evil mischievous smile, but a regular I'm-happy smile.

"Uh... yeah sure, just a bit of milk." with that she walks into the kitchen and returns with a small silver tray with three cups. Three cups...

I look around. I don't spot him, but then I hear him laugh from right next to me. Before I realize it I'm standing and backing away from him. "Bit jumpy, are we?" He smirks at me, reaching for a cup and sipping it.

"Archer, play nice please. She's our guest." Tohsaka motions for me to sit back down, but I decide to take my tea and sit in one of the nearby armchairs instead. After a moment, I take a small sip.

"Whoa... this is good." I murmur, taking another.

This time Tohsaka laughs. "Archer's special blend. I have to keep him around for something, don't I?"

I chuckle to myself, and Archer just shakes his head and takes another sip. All is silent for a while, but I notice Archer and Tohsaka trading glances at me every so often. I think they're talking, from the looks of it. But can they do that? I know Saber seems to know what I'm thinking before I can say it aloud, but that's different... isn't it?

"Emiya-kun, I... would you like to team up with me?" Tohsaka finally speaks. Both her and Archer are looking intently at me now, and I feel like a fool as I just sit there with my mouth agape. Shaking my head to clear it, I turn to Tohsaka.

"But... I didn't think we could? Or that you... even would want to, to be honest. You tried to kill me earlier, remember?" I'm completely lost here.

Archer is laughing quietly, and Tohsaka glares at him for a moment before continuing. "I propose a temporary alliance. You managed to hold off that servant earlier for quite awhile, so I think you've got some tricks up your sleeve that could help us. Not to mention the fact that you already know neither of us can take Berserker alone." She attacks me with a smile that makes my heart jump.

"I..." Its true, what she said about Berserker. But if I do this... I already know that we will have to fight by the end of this war, most likely to the death. Tohsaka isn't one to give up easily. If I start seeing her as an ally, a friend... Not to mention the fact that she doesn't seem to know about what I can do. Hah, not even I know about what I can do. On the other hand, maybe she can help me?

"Emiya-kun, your spacing again." Tohsaka's face is right in front of mine, that smile still bright on her lips. Dammit, that's not fair. I mouth can't seem to make up its mind whether to speak or not, and I must look like a fish out of water.

"I... I guess, yeah. It'd be nice to have someone I can rely on..." My mouth says of its own accord. Wait, I didn't...

You took to long.

Shut up!

"Excellent!" Tohsaka looks extremely pleased with herself and walks back to her seat. Archer is useing both hands to cover his mouth, it almost looks like hes choking on something. I shoot him a sharp look, and he really does start coughing. After a moment, he disappears.

"Am I missing something important here?" I can't help but feel a bit confused.

Tohsaka is glaring at the spot where Archer was a moment ago, but I can see a light blush on her cheeks. "Just the dirty old man poking into thoughts he shouldn't be." she replies angrily.

* * *

We spend a lot of time talking, mostly about magic and things like that. She even let me take a look at the glyphs on her arm, and explained its called a magic crest. Each of the markings is a spell that she can use at will, as long as she has the mana to fuel it. No preparation required. I wish I had one.

By the time I realize what time it is, Its already dark out. Saber is going to be furious. Tohsaka and I make plans to meet up after school tomorrow in the third floor hallway. After checking my bandage one last time, she sees me off.

As I walk home, I think back. Tohsaka seemed to be trying to skirt around the subject of my battle with that woman. I described her as much as I could, but tried to omit what I had done about it. She seemed okay with that, but would give me odd glances occasionally.

A prickling sensation runs down my back. Someone is following me. I turn and look down the street, but its empty. I keep walking for a little while, listening intently for any sound. Just my own footsteps, my own heartbeat, nothing more.

Then I realize that I recognize the enmity being aimed at me.

"Archer."

The man in the red coat appears walking next to me. He ignores me, looking straight ahead.

"Why are you following me?" I ask, keeping my eyes on the my path home. I can feel without a doubt that I hate him. I don't understand why, but I do. Is it because he's Tohsaka's servant? Or that he tried to kill Saber in that battle with Berserker? I don't think so. Because I hated him before that.

"My master has asked me to escort you home, since your servant is not... available." he says with no emotion. It seems a bit of a contradiction, with the anger and hate I can feel rolling off him towards me. I look him over.

He is a handsome man, to put it honestly. His hair is short and spiky, a bright white color even though he doesn't appear old. His black pants and vest are covered by a red long coat that he leaves open at the front. His best feature, though, is his eyes. His eyes are strong, defiant. They are full to the brim with confidence. I wish I had that kind of confidence. Just by looking at him, I know he is a good person at heart, and will not hesitate once he has made a decision.

"You know, if you keep looking at me like that I might have to charge you for it." He smirks at me, and I reach to slap him. He moves away to quickly, of course, but at least I can say I tried.

Archer disappears, and doesn't show himself again until we're almost at our destination. I stop walking not far from down the street I live on.

"You might not want to come any closer. Saber won't be in the mood for excuses if she spots you with me."

I feel the presence behind me begin to leave, but I call out again.

"Isn't there something you need to say? Glaring at me like that the entire walk home, you must have something on your mind." I say without turning to look at him.

"I have a better opinion of you. At least you can feel hostility. I thought you were a pacifist who wouldn't even hurt a bug."

"Oh please, right now I'm more than willing to hurt _you_." I turn to glare at him.

He shrugs his shoulders and smile at me. "You could try. Though I'm certain my master wouldn't approve, I could kill you in less time then it would take you to curse at me."

"I fought back the servant at school today, fought her all the way across the forest for at least ten minutes before Tohsaka showed up. You think you can do better?"

His gaze falters. He clenches his teeth and turns away. "That was a fluke. She obviously was playing with you."

"You don't sound so sure, yourself. How can I believe what you say when even you don't?" I shoot back. I shouldn't be boasting, but this man ticks me off.

"Is there a reason you stopped me? Don't tell me something ridiculous like 'you want to be friends with me'" He's close to breaking, so I shouldn't push him any farther.

"Go back to your master..." I turn and walk up to the front gate to my house alone. The lights are on inside.

"Cynical bastard." I mumble to myself. Why do I feel like I've met him before?

* * *

As I push in the door, I feel my anger begin to dim. Walking into the living room, Sakura comes out from the kitchen to greet me.

"Welcome home, Senpai." Even though she's in the middle of cooking, she comes out to welcome me home. I smile and nod at her.

"Sorry I'm late. How much of dinner is done?" I ask, hoping I can still help.

"I just finished preparing, but I don't think I need your help tonight. We're having stew for dinner, at Fujimura-Sensai's request."

I nod again. She's got everything under control so I leave it to her. I wave at Fuji-nee as I go past, looking around for Saber.

I don't see her around, so I ask Sakura. "Hey, have you seen Saber around?"

"Saber-san is sleeping. She said she wished to be awoken when you returned home..."

"...Hmm, she was mad wasn't she." I'm in trouble now.

"Um... I don't think so. Saber-san always has sharp eyes." If Sakura is hesitating to say it, I'm definitely in deep. I suppose I deserve it, I did break my promise after all.

I make my way down the hall and quietly push into the room. Saber is laying flat on her back with a blanket carefully draped over her. Her face is so peaceful in sleep that I'm hesitant to wake her. I lean back against the wall and just watch her.

My memory is drawn back to the night we met, the first time I saw her. Her armored form surrounded in a halo of moonlight... I sigh. She's so beautiful.

"Master, I am quite unhappy with you right now, so please keep such thoughts to yourself."

I look down to see her staring up at me from her resting place. Oh god, did I say that out loud?! Saber gracefully stands and steps toward me. She looks as calm as ever, but I can tell she is furious. I open my mouth to speak, but she shushes me and beckons for me to follow.

We end up in the dojo, and I'm suddenly very afraid of the girl before me. I pray that Fuji-nee didn't show her around and offer to let her use the shinais whenever she wanted. Judging from the fact that she picks two up and throws one at me, I guess that my prayers are rebuffed.

I grip the training sword and pale. She's going to hurt me. She's going to hurt me alot. I'm going to cry like a baby and never break a promise with her again. My hands are shaking as she glares at me from across the room.

"Master, do you understand _why _I am angry?"

"I... I broke my promise?" I ask fearfully.

"That is correct. Then since you understand, I do not regret what I am about to do."

Saber runs at me with her shinai raised. I bring mine up to block her blow, but her strength makes me stagger and I'm struck by the follow up. She backs away slowly until I stand, then rushes me again. Block, block, WHACK. This time she manages to hit my bandaged arm and I scream, dropping my weapon and falling back.

Saber is at my side before I hit the ground, catching me and leaning me back against a wall. All her anger is gone as she tentatively rolls up my sleeve to examine the wound.

"When did you get this?"

I was hoping she wouldn't find out, but I hadn't planned on having her beat me up tonight either. I wince as she checks over the wound, making sure its clean and such. Its much smaller now, but it still goes completely through my arm.

"I... I'm okay, so it's not important." I say weakly, and groan as she wraps the bandage back around it.

"It is very important. Did this happen at school?" her eyes glimmer with worry, and I have to answer. I sigh and nod. I explain what happened, with the fight with Tohsaka and subsequent attack by the servant. I omit the details of said fight, and she gives me a look that says she knows I know more, but lets me continue. I continue on to what happened at Tohsaka's home.

"You did _what_?!"

"I made a deal with Tohsaka. If you hadn't noticed, we aren't exactly in the best of shape. I trust her enough to know she won't go against her word, and it gives us a chance against Berserker." I try to explain calmly, but she looks like shes going to start hitting me again.

"You should have consulted me before making such a promise, master." She looks away in frustration. "Whats done is done."

Saber stands and pulls me to my feet. She's still mad, but shes careful not to hurt my arm again. We put the Shinais back onto the rack and walk together to the living room.


	14. Chapter 13

Dinner is splendid as usual, everyone congratulating Sakura on another meal well done. As everyone sits down to watch some television together, I wander off towards the door. Walking out to yard, I look up at the sky. I don't know how long I stood there staring at the stars, but it must have been quite awhile as I hear someone walk up behind me.

"Senpai... is everything okay?" Sakura asks timidly. I don't look back at her. I gaze just a bit longer at the sky, before I can bring myself to answer.

"...For the first time in my life, I just don't know what to do. So much is happening so fast and I just can't keep up. Its like chasing a train that left me at the station." I'm trying to fight the tears. I don't want Sakura to see me like this.

My mind is a jumbled mess of recent events. Dying, being trapped in this stupid war, finding out things I never wanted to know, changing into... I don't even know what, but this power isn't normal...

Ayako going missing...

Seeing who Tohsaka really is...

People dying all over town...

I don't even know why I'm telling Sakura anything, I just... I'm breaking down under the strain of all this. I can't handle it. I don't know why, but seeing everyone here together like that in the living room just snapped something in my head. Seeing Saber sitting there next to Sakura watching television, it made me realize how much my life is being effected by this war.

I feel a comforting hand on my shoulder as she steps up next to me. As if sensing my need for silence, she doesn't ask anything more. We stand there for awhile, watching the sky pass by.

"Sakura, I have a favor to ask." I say quietly. Its a bit selfish, but I need to say it aloud.

"What is it Senpai?" She turns to look at me.

"I... can you stay here? Just for a few more days? Things are..." Easier when your here, I want to finish. But I can't say that. "If its inconvenient its alright, I don't want to put any pressure on you or anything."

"I can stay, Senpai. I don't mind." She whispers. I smile a little and finally turn to look at her.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to get in trouble with Shinji over me..." I'm worried, but I selfishly wish she will stay anyway.

"Its alright. I can deal with Nii-san later. I'll stay a bit longer." Her eyes are closed, and she looks a bit happier.

We watch the sky a bit more, before I think of something. I laugh a bit, and reach into my shirt to draw out one of the necklaces I'm wearing. Slipping it off my head, I hand it to Sakura.

"This should help you out." I laugh as she sees it and gasps, recognizing it. "My anti-Shinji talisman. Just wave it at him if he gets mad at you, and watch him run off."

I drop it in Sakura's hand. Its a simple thing, just a black chord that slips on over your head. The center piece, however...

"Is that..." She asks in awe.

"Yup. Thats the head from the arrow I stabbed him with. It scares the crap out of him." I laugh, and Sakura giggles a bit too. Gingerly putting it on, she slips it under her shirt and out of sight. I feel alot better, standing here with Sakura.

"I should go speak with Fujimura-Sensai and let her know I'm staying." she says quietly, and turns to head back to the house.

When I hear the door slide shut, I sigh.

"Its impolite to eavesdrop, you know." I say, and see Saber approach from the corner of my eye.

"Master, I thought we agreed that having them in the house was a bad idea."

"If you haven't noticed, I've been under a bit of stress lately. Sakura is one of the very few people who know how to ease that a bit. I..." I don't want to admit to Saber how close I was to doing something stupid, like going to the church and handing over my seals like Tohsaka suggested that first night.

I don't want her to know, so of course she does. Her brow furrows, but I don't think its out of anger.

"Saber, are you reading my thoughts?" I suddenly ask, remembering how Tohsaka seemed to talk to Archer without speaking.

"No, I cannot do such a thing. But your emotions are easy to distinguish, and from that I can guess what you are thinking." she says calmly.

"Am I really that easy to read?" I frown and look at her.

"Only because our contract links us so. You are quite the actor, Mayami. Without our connection, I would have much more problems 'reading you', as you say, than I would others."

I take it as a compliment, but I'm not sure if it was intended as such. I wish she would show some emotion more often.

"Master, I believe we should talk more of today's events. I am quite curious as to how you survived your encounter with the other servant."

I think to myself for a moment. She is my partner, so I should tell her but... How exactly do you calmly explain you turned yourself into someone else?

"Saber... do you remember yesterday? When you said you thought you saw yourself in me when we argued?"

"Yes. What of it?"

"I think... I _was _you, at least for those few seconds. It happened the night I met you, too. I felt odd when I was attacked by Lancer. After that I hit him with a kick I know I could never have landed as myself. He laughed at me and said that looking like him didn't make me him. I didn't know what he meant at the time..." I try and think farther back, back when life was normal. I don't remember feeling like that before, but I've never been in that kind of danger before. Not since the fire.

"Are you suggesting you can... change into people?" Saber looks as confused as I feel.

"Sorta. In my head, I see myself... only Its not me, it looks like what I _would _look like If I were them, if that makes any sense to you." I remember when I was captured by the servant, how I reached out for the Me that looked like her. "It happened again today, when we fought. I took one of her weapons and we fought all through the forest for a good few minutes before I made a mistake and she managed to pin me. Whats odd is that I don't just look like them, its as if... my mind thinks like them as well. Like my thought process was completely different."

"Do you think you could duplicate the effect? Show me how you would do it."

I close my eyes and try to think. Its odd though, no matter how hard I look, I can't find the warehouse in my mind. I shake my head. "I don't think it works like that. It only happens when I'm really angry, or in danger."

Saber seems to think about this for a minute, then nods to herself. "This does not sound like any magic I am familiar with... though perhaps Rin may have. If you could use this at will, It would be of great help in this fight." Saber looks at me, rather pleased. I hope I can find a way, now... If I could, maybe I can help Saber after all.

* * *

February 5, 2004

* * *

I feel the breeze. I look up and see it is a beautiful cloudless day. I walk along the grass barefoot, loving how it feels. Across the street I see my friend wave at me. Short black hair... jade green eyes... She looks like...

"Mayami-chan!" I call and she sprints across to me. She looks young. But isn't she... me? Whose eyes am I seeing this from? She tackles me and we fall to the ground laughing. We lay on our backs and watch the clouds pass by.

This was ten years ago...

Before the flames that changed everything...

* * *

Its quiet here. I open my eyes, watching the sunlight filter in from my window. I look around to make sure I'm actually alone today before I get out of bed. After changing into my uniform, I make my way to the kitchen. Its early today, so I'll make breakfast.

The meal goes by quickly, and I wave goodbye to Sakura and Fuji-nee as they leave a half hour early for Archery club. Sakura was smiling, holding her new necklace in her hand as she walked. Closing the door, I return to the kitchen and make some tea for Saber and I. We don't speak much, just enjoy the tea while I wait for the clock to tell me its time to go.

When it is time, Saber and I part at the door. It seems she won't worry as much as long as I'm with Tohsaka, but I know I should still try and hold to yesterdays promise. The morning air is peaceful and I take a deep breath. I don't know why, but today... feels different. Feels... good.

I look up at the clouds, remembering my nostalgic dream. Just thinking about it puts my mind to ease, like everything is going to be okay.

All of that flushes away in an instant when I see Shinji in the hallway before school. Before I know whats happening I'm holding him up against his locker with both hands. He doesn't seem at all startled, instead he looks as if expecting this. People in the halls are giving me odd looks so I let him down. I pull him into the nearby student council room and slam the door shut.

"What did you do to Ayako?!" I yell at him.

"Wha, Mitsuzuri? I heard about it this morning in the archery range. She was found this morning in an ally in Shinto, right? I heard shes in the hospital now." Shinji is almost laughing as he tells me this. "I heard she was pretty fucked up when they found her, her uniform a mess and her eyes all spaced out."

He must have seen the flames in my eyes as he suddenly doesn't look so confident. He tries to back away as I slam him against the wall again, this time my hands around his throat. The homeroom bell rings and I almost scream my anger.

He's not worth it, let him go.

I let go and he crumples to the floor. I stomp out of the room and slam the door behind me. I need to go see her later, I have to know shes okay. And Shinji better pray I don't find anything linking him to this or I'll...

I'll kill him.

I make my way to my seat and sit down, watching as Shinji slinks in a moment later and taking a seat farther away from me. I think back...

That wasn't me. Now that I think about it, I felt... felt her whisper it to me. 'He's not worth it, let him go.'... It was a voice that reminds me of the servant. I turn and look at Shinji. Could he really be a master?

But if he was, why was that servant trying to help me? Ugh, so confusing. What frustrates me more was I listened to her without a second thought.

I'll have to tell Tohsaka about it later, there's nothing I can do now.

* * *

Taking a hint, Shinji avoided me the rest of the day. When the bell signalling school's end finally rings, everyone but me quickly makes their exit. I take my time, making my way out to the hall when it empties out a bit.

When it finally clears, I see Tohsaka walking towards me. We talk, exchanging information. I tell her about my suspicions about Shinji's involvement in both the grail war and Ayako's case. Apparently Tohsaka is a good friend of her and was worried about her too.

Tohsaka then explains to me about what she called a "Boundry Field" around the school, a spell that triggers an effect based on a certain requirement. She tells me the field around the school is going to drain the life out of everyone in it when it is triggered.

That explains the odd feeling I get whenever I walk onto campus. We spend a few hours going over the school ground and destroying the glyphs that are fueling the spell. She said it won't stop it, but it will slow it down quite a bit.

It seems I'm really sensitive to abnormalities in the air, or something. Tohsaka has trouble locating them, but I can point them out relatively easy just by the uneasy feeling I get in certain parts of the school. It takes us about an hour, but Tohsaka seems confident we've set it back by at least a week.

While we head back inside from the roof, where the last mark was, I bring up my conversation with Saber last night.

"You think your a mimic?" She looks at me like I'm crazy.

"Err... whats that?"

"It is possible to use magic to appear as someone else, but... its only an illusion, at best. Mimicry, on the other hand, is very very complex magic that not only changes appearance, but physical attributes and mindset as well. The problem with it is it takes weeks to prepare the spell, and you usually need a piece of whoever your turning into." She tries to explain.

"Nuh-uh, it happens... almost instantly. And I certainly didn't have a piece of the people I turned into."

"Well that's not the only problem. The spell is extremely complex, way beyond most Magi, but... The thing is, the amount of power it takes just to mimic a normal human is insane. To do so to mimic something as powerful as a servant is, well... Its supposed to be impossible."

She looks at me curiously, thinking. She closes her eyes and murmurs something, then looks at me again. She shakes her head.

"You still don't have more then a few magic circuits, but... Its odd, I didn't think you even had this many before. Regardless, with the amount of mana you generate, you'd have to save it up for a good sixty years to power a basic mimicry. Are you sure your not just imagining it?"

I sigh. Guess Tohsaka isn't going to be much help after all. Well, at least I know what to call it now. We make our way indoors again. I'm a bit depressed, but Tohsaka seems happy we destroyed most of those marks so I guess the day wasn't a fluke.

We part ways at the gate, Tohsaka saying she needs to prepare for tomorrow. Whoever put up the field will be quite angry tomorrow, so she wants to be ready for a fight. I start thinking to myself about things, and before I know it I'm in front of the archery range. My mind must still be mulling over how Ayako is doing, So I decide to go see her after dinner.

Turning to head home, I see a figure standing between me and the gate.

"Emiya, shouldn't you be home by now? I hear its getting dangerous around nowadays."

My hands clench into fists and I use all the willpower I have to not try and strangle the smirk right off of Shinji's face. I ignore him and keep walking.

"Ah, so that's how its going to be, eh? To tired to greet your friend? You wouldn't be so tired if you weren't meddling with my spells." Despite his scowl, his voice sounds delighted.

I gasp, looking up at him. I knew it!

"Yup, that boundary field you've been tinkering with was mine. But now its just about worthless, it'll take much to long to fix. I guess I won't need to come to school anymore, at least."

I glare at him. It was hm, his idea. He was going to kill everyone in the school. And to think I let him go instead of breaking his neck this morning.

Suddenly, a cool voice whispers in my ear.

"Not yet... soon though."

I don't know why, but I trust her. So I'll listen for now.

Shinji looks a bit confused. "Rider, what did you say? Get away from her! We're talking!"

"No, we're done here. You can attack me, or you can leave. Stop wasting my time."

"But Emiya, I didn't have a chance to explain myself." His smirk is wider. "I don't trust many people, but I do trust you. I want to offer you a chance to partner up. That bitch Tohsaka is only bad news, and we have to stop her while we can. Come on, we're pals right?"

"I don't even know you anymore, _Matou_. We are far from pals." I glare at him as I leave. He dosn't make a move, and I decide to just head home for now.

I'll deal with that cocky bastard later.

* * *

When I get home, I notice there are only two pairs of shoes at the front door. Fuji-nee's and Saber's. I'm worried so I quickly make my way to the living room. As I suspected, Sakura is nowhere to be seen. Whats even more frightening (arguably) is the fact that someone that 'looks' like Fuji-nee is doing 'somthing' that could be mistaken as cooking.

"Hey fuji-nee, wheres Sakura?"

She turns to me and sets down the bowl on the table. It looks like she was mixing flour. "Someone called her from home and she said she had to leave. She looked a bit worried but said it wasn't a problem."

"Dammit, Shinji..." I mutter to myself.

"Language, Mayami. If I didn't know any better I'd think you disrespect that spoiled little brat." Fuji-nee says in a rather sarcastic voice. She resumes her 'cooking' and I decide to run to Sakura's home. I don't trust Shinji, and I'm ready to beat his face in if he's done something to his sister.

"Let saber know I made it home and that I'm running out to the Matou place, will you? Be back soon." I call to Fuji-nee but don't wait for a response before I'm out the door.

I run almost the entire way there. As I make my way up the walk, I try to even my breathing so i don't look quite so exasperated. I ring the bell and turn to look at the old house. This place hasn't changed a bit. I remember back when we'd play hide and seek here, the three of us.

"Senpai? What are you doing here?" Sakura is the one who answered the door.

"I was just in the neighbourhood, decided I should stop by and see if you made home okay." I lie, and she smiles at me. She knows better.

"Just in the neighbourhood, hmm?"

We laugh. i guess she's okay, she doesn't seem gloomy at all. But that could be her mask, of course. She wouldn't want me to worry over her.

"Well, I suppose its none of my business but is Shinji home?" I try to sound nonchalant.

"Nii-san? No, I don't think hes home yet. He went out somewhere after school."

Good, so hes not there. I smile and nod. It must have been her grandfather who called. I must look relieved, because Sakura is smiling again.

After a moment her smile fades though. "Um, Senpai? I'm sorry, but I don't think I can over for a while anymore. Grandfather is feeling sick, so I have to look after him for a few days."

I'm sad to hear it, but at least it will keep her away from whats going on. I nod. "That's alright, family first and all that. I'll just have to make sure i come to the archery club more often to make up for it."

She smiles happily. I know I'll have to get up a little earlier if I want to do so, but I don't care.

"Well I suppose I should go. Fuji-nee is trying to cook dinner, and i must hurry to stop such an atrocity from happening. Take care, Sakura. And say hello to the old man for me, will you?"

She laughs and waves as I set off. I hear the door shut behind me. As I walk back to the road, I glance up to the roof. I could have sworn I saw a flash of... lavender? I smile up at the roof. Every house needs a guardian angel, right? To my surprise, the woman pokes her head back over so I can see.

And I see her smile back before she vanishes into the air.


	15. Chapter 14

I didn't return in time to stop Fuji-nee, unfortunately, and to top it off I was met at the door by an angry swordsman. She glared at me and whacked me across the head with a shinai. Fuji-nee's attempt at cooking wasn't a complete disaster, however, and we managed to eat most of it.

After dinner Saber and I headed to the dojo to 'train', her euphemism for beating the crap out of me until I repent. I'm starting to think she's enjoying it. After I collapse on the floor, begging for mercy, we break and I explain today's events. I leave out my after-school encounter with Shinji for now, I don't want her rushing off before I can confirm he's responsible.

At nine o'clock, I walk back to the living room to make a call. I know its a bit late, but I still want to go see Ayako. After calling the hospital, they say she was sent home, so I call her house instead. Her father answers, and I ask if it'd be okay if I came to see her. He agrees, and I hang up.

Saber accompanies me since its dark already, but tonight I don't mind. We make our way to the small house the Mitsuzuri's call home. I don't even have to ask Saber to wait outside, she sits daintily at the curb, nodding at me to go ahead.

I knock in case anyone is sleeping, and Ayako's father answers the door. I bow and we exchange greetings. He leads me upstairs to her room and motions for me to go ahead. He heads back downstairs. Quietly entering the room, I turn to see Ayako laying on her bed with her eyes closed. There is an IV in her arm, but I don't see any other medical equipment.

I sit down on the chair next to her bed, my hand sliding up to hold hers. I don't care if we agreed to move on, I know I still have feelings for her. Ayako has always had her own place in my heart, and always will. I feel her hand move a little, entwining our fingers. I look up to see her eyes half open, a soft smile on her face.

"Hey there, idiot. What'd you go and get yourself thrown in a dumpster for?" I try to smirk, but she just shakes her head. We both know I'm just trying not to cry. Her father said there isn't anything more the hospital can do. She'll either pull through... or she won't.

We sit together for awhile. She can't speak very well, so I don't force her. After awhile, I feel her hand loosen, and I realize she has fallen asleep. I carefully pull away and leave. She needs to rest so she can get better. She has to get better...

After thanking her parents, I leave. Saber stands as I approach. I must look like a wreck, because she doesn't say a word. As we walk home, I look up to the sky and wipe away my tears.

She has to get better... or I don't know what I'll do.

* * *

I'm sitting in the corner of my room, arms wrapped around my legs. I couldn't sleep. I keep seeing Ayako's smiling face when I close my eyes, and the tears start again. After a few hours of this, Saber came in to sit next to me. I didn't think I was making any noise, but I don't question it.

Saber doesn't ask any questions, or condone me for my behavior. She just sits there, providing morale support. I want to ask her why she's here, but my throat won't let me speak. All that escapes is another quiet sob.

It's long past midnight when I finally drift off in Saber's comforting arms.

* * *

I'm walking. It must be a dream, I couldn't have left the house.

Come to me...

A strange voice. It pulls me in, makes my legs move.

Come to me...

It repeats over and over as I walk. I pass the intersection in the center of Miyamah and turn down the road that leads up the mountain, towards Ryudou temple.

Come to me...

Something is wrong. It doesn't feel like a dream. My steps are filled with a grace I don't have. I'm like a puppet, marching ever onward.

Come to me...

I reach the stairs that go up to the temple. My feet climb them, but I know something is wrong. This is wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Come to me...

My eyes snap open. My legs continue their ascent. I fight it, mentally trying to reach Saber. Something is controlling me. How did I get here? I try to scream for help, but can't. I try as hard as I can to stop my feet, but all I manage to do is cause myself to stumble.

My, your a strong one aren't you? Come to me!

'Don't listen!' My mind screams, but my body continues on. I reach the top of the stairs and walk slowly into the temple grounds. In the center of the courtyard, a swirling black shadow stands.

"That's far enough, girl. If you come closer, I'll have to kill you."

My body halts. I try to run, try to fight it, but I can't even open my mouth. The standing shadow before me fades, and in it's place is a woman cloaked in purple and black robes. Her hood covers her face, but her lips are painted into an indigo smirk.

Her form radiates magic so strongly that even I can feel it. To much power to be human. She has to be a servant, and with a spell strong enough to manipulate a human being from over two kilometers away, it has to be Caster.

Well, the robes fit.

I struggle to call for Saber again. I can't fight her alone, especially not like this. She purple shadow slips slowly closer and closer to me, laughing softly.

"Such weak magic resistance. I expected better from even you, the weakest of the masters... but alas, such was not the case. It is almost uncanny, the amount of control I have over you... Oh, the delicious pleasures I could force upon you." Caster laughs mercilessly.

Chills run up and down my unmoving spine. Anger floods my body. How dare she say such a thing! My hands clench into fists and my teeth grit.

She seems a bit surprised. "Oh my, you've got some strength after all. Have I made you angry?" She saunters closer, leaning down so her face is level with mine. Her face is inches from mine now, and I can feel her breath. "It would be so easy to lean forward and..." She licks her lips suggestively.

I've had enough. I roar and launch and try to swing at her. She doesn't even move. Before I can connect a blow, however, I'm launched backwards, skidding over the edge and rolling down the stairs onto the highest landing.

Pain wracks my body, my lip is cut and I feel like I've sprained my left hand. My body pushes itself up and marches back up to the woman dutifully. She laughs and licks her lips again, as if savoring my capture. I can hear something from farther down behind me, like steel striking steel. I try to look back but I can't.

"So defiant... I like you, little human. I may decide to keep you until this unpleasant business is done with. Perhaps master would like that as well... a new toy for us to play with together." she wanders towards me once more, her pace leisurely. "Well, I suppose we should get this over with. Being stuck there like that must be terribly boring. I've decided to keep you, so I'll just absorb your command seals. Hold still, it should only hurt a little." The last part is whispered in a voice so sincere I can't help but wonder if she is insane. She speaks as if turning people she likes into slaves is an everyday thing for her, and is honestly trying to comfort me.

Her hands reach toward mine like spiders as they begin to glow. Her lips twitch into a bewitching smile. Her hands envelope my left and a strange warm numbness starts to spread through me. She leans forward as if to embrace me...

-Three flashes of silver streak across the night. Caster is forced to spin and deflect them with a spell, and I stumble back and onto the ground.

Did I say three? Make that dozens. They rain down from above, embedding in the ground between me and Caster, forcing her farther and farther away.

"Heh, I thought you'd be dead by now, but I guess your pretty tenacious."

I know that voice.

"You bastard." I laugh. it seems like the right thing to do. Archer drops down in front of me, standing between me and my would-be owner.

"That's right, condone the man who's trying to save you. I could just leave you to her, you know?"

"Well, she was making some rather interesting offers before yo showed up. I've always wanted to try bondage."

That even gets a laugh out of _him _as he lowers himself into a defensive stance. I stagger to my feet behind him.

"What are you doing here! Where is Assassin?!" Caster screams at Archer.

"Assassin is keeping Saber busy, so I thought I'd keep you company. He's quite the swordsman, to be able to hold her at bay." Archer smirks. "So that means there must be two master's lurking nearby. Watch yourself, Emiya."

Caster looks dumbstruck for a moment, then keels over and bursts into laughter. Finally she regains her composure. "Yes, there are two master's here. And one is standing before you!"

A servant... that's a master? It doesn't make much sense, but I suppose the only real requirement is some magic power, latent or otherwise... and Caster certainly has that.

Archer is grinding his teeth. "You broke the rule." He finally says. His voice is filled with anger.

"Guilty!" Caster sings happily. "Why not? Rules are made to be broken!" Caster's robe distorts. The magical energy in the air condenses into a fog that seems to cover Caster in shadows. Archer launches himself at Caster, his twin blades suddenly in hand. Faster than Caster can raise her hand, he slashes her clean in half. She disappears, her cloak fluttering up into the sky on a drift of wind.

"What the..." Archer mumbles. I'm right with him. The battle is over already?

"Too bad, Archer. I didn't think you were _that _weak." Caster's voice echos across the temple. A sphere of light comes arcing down at Archer from the sky. He leaps, slashing at it with his blades in an attempt to deflect it.

I feel the explosion. The ground glows as the magic from the shot dissipates into it. The power from that shot was overwhelming, not even a servant should be able to withstand that. Well, maybe Berserker.

I look up into the sky to see Caster in the air, an elegant jeweled staff held in front of her and her cloak spread like great black wings behind her. The sight is breathtaking.

"-It must be transportation or control of matter. Either way, it seems you can do something close to sorcery here in your own territory... I have a better opinion of you now." Archer glares up at the floating servant. His blades glow with the residual energy from Caster's attack.

I look around. There has to be something I can do... but these battles are beyond me. Even if I could control my power and change into... anyone, I wouldn't even know where to start.

Caster's cloak begin to shimmer as it accumulates magic for her to use, a beautiful pattern of glyphs shimmering with every color in existence scrawling itself across the interior.

Run. Run now. Runrunrunrunrunrun!

My instincts take over as I dart away. Archer to is running. The power Caster is about to unleash will destroy everything in its path, that is clear.

"Fool! You think you can escape?!" Caster shrieks as she waves her staff. My jaw drops as hundreds of circles of runes appear in the air and begin blasting down across the ground. Hundreds of circles raining destruction as thick as a tree trunk.

The ground is ripped asunder, the beams creating craters everywhere they fall. I may be an amateur, but even I can tell this is just ridiculous. Nothing can be that powerful... can it? Caster keeps waving her staff, new beams dropping with each wave, once every few seconds.

"You idiot! How long are you going to just stand there!!" Archer screams, charging at me while attempting to deflect some of the blows with his swords. He's right dammit, I'm going to blown to pieces if I just stand here! I try to turn and run, but I'm to slow. In an instant Archer has an arm around my waste, carrying me as he runs.

A shelf drops into place. I don't know if its the contact with him, but suddenly my mind is going into overdrive. Time seems to slow.

"Throw me."

Archer doesn't hesitate. He must have seen what I had done. What I have become. Suddenly I'm flying through the air straight at Caster. Time crawls as I feel the wind flow through my short white hair. Kanshou and Bakuya appear in my hands as I fly. I see Caster's face twist in shock and fear. I smile.

Payback is a bitch.

My blades connect, cutting crosswise through Caster. She manages to swing her body and avoid most of it, but my blades tear through her cloak and destroy her flow of energy, as well as clipping her left arm. The beams halt, and I see the true Archer readying his bow below. I recognize the arrow, the one that left the crater in the graveyard. I know it's name is Kaladbolg. Using my blades to cut the air itself, I fall faster then I should be able to, rolling to break my fall.

I look up in time to see the sword ripping through the air and flying right past Caster. Why did he miss? He had a perfect shot, but his arrow went wide. The shockwave the arrow creates as it flies is enough to knock caster out of the air, however. She lands on her feet, but I can see the blood, the wounds across her body. Her step falters, but she catches herself. She's using her magic to regenerate, but with her main power source in ribbons, she cannot gather it as fast as before.

Caster's breath is labored. Why doesn't he strike? She is showing weakness, and it should be ended now. If he won't, I will. I step forward...

She is shaking. Pathetic.

Another step...

She makes an offer of friendship, of power.

Another step...

Her voice pleads with me to see reason.

Another step...

... and my shoulder is pierced from behind as the metal hilt from the blade's twin strikes me across the back of the head. I fall into unconsciousness.


	16. Chapter 15

February 6, 2004

* * *

I'm in a warehouse. A warehouse full of shelves. It doesn't take much brain power to recognize it as mine, but something is different. It feels... brighter.

I look up. I can see the moon and the stars, but they are faint. Everything is colored with a soft glow, the dim light reflecting off the shelves. They seem different, too. The shelves look like I can see through them, like they are made of glass. The way the light refracts through them is breathtaking.

Maybe nothing really has changed. Maybe I can just see things clearer now. I'm not sure, myself. Was it always this way here? I walk past familiar shapes. I recognize Tohsaka, Saber... Lancer and Ayako... my father, Kiritsugu.

Now that is just downright disturbing. My father?

Moving on...

I walk past shelves of people I know from school, shelves of people I've worked with in town. I see people I don't even know the names of, and some from long distant memories. They seem different as well. They all look around. Some talk to each other quietly, some are watching the sky. All of them greet me with a smile and a wave I recognize as my own.

The stage has changed as well. It no longer sports crudely drawn on black and white backgrounds, instead great painted scenes that move across the wall. A beautiful velvet curtain hangs, the kind the swings in from both sides. It even has a few dozen comfortable looking chairs spread across the floor before it, filled with chatting Me's.

I decide I like these changes. It looks like a proper place now, not some hidden away building in a back ally. It's something I can start to feel proud of. I like it here.

For some reason I decide to walk up onto the stage. I hear clapping from the gathered Me's. I look back at the background, and I see my room. It looks like the sun is starting to peek through. It looks about time to wake up.

So I do.

* * *

I look around my room, the dream fading. But is it really a dream? I try and roll out of bed, but gasp in pain. My shoulder is aching, right above where I was stabbed by Rider the other day. What do people have against my right arm? Yeesh. At least I'm left handed.

Saber is kneeling next to me, and her eyes snap open when I move. She puts a hand on my shoulder to keep me from moving, making a shushing motion with her finger.

"What... what happened?" I whisper. I feel exhausted, I must not have gotten much sleep last night. Then, suddenly I remember what happened at the temple.

My nighttime walk...

The battle with Caster...

Archer's betrayal...

"It is alright, we are safe here." Saber says as my eyes widen in remembrance. "I brought you back from the temple and bandaged your wound. It should finish healing within the day."

"Archer... he..."

"He escaped before I could deal with him. I apologize, master." Saber looks away in anger. "Caster escaped as well, and with you in such an injured state I could not pursue her."

"It's alright, Saber." I put a hand on hers to try and comfort her. "The night wasn't a complete waste. We know where two more of the servants are hiding out."

"..." Saber is silent. She almost looks ashamed.

"Hey, look at me." I whisper. She does, and I continue. "We both made it away from a situation I thought was hopeless. That makes it a win in my books, okay? Even if we didn't manage to destroy any servants, I still don't doubt you for a second."

Her lips twitch up into a smile, but it is gone in a flash as her face slides back into it's usual calm demeanor. I smile a bit. Saber helps me sit up, then leaves. I get into a clean uniform and head towards the kitchen, trying not to move my right arm.

Even if Sakura isn't here, I still want to make breakfast for Saber and Fuji-nee. What can I make one-handed though? Maybe I can get Saber to help. I laugh to myself.

That would definitely be a sight to see.

* * *

The morning passes relatively calmly. I made sure to leave early with Fuji-nee so I could stop in at the Archery range. Sakura smiled, and I noted that even in her archery robes she wore the necklace I gave her. She really is doing much better, almost every shot striking the target now. Shinji was there today as well, glaring at me every chance he got.

Afterwards, I walked with Sakura to the main building before we went our seperate ways. A few people from my class wave, and I smile back. Just your everyday routine.

Until lunch, of course.

I made my own lunch today, so my plan was to sit and eat in class. Issei wasn't here today, so there is no reason to use the student council room. It's a bit odd, usually he's never even late. I stare off out the window, lost in thought for a few minutes before I notice a fuss going on in the classroom. One of the boys, Gotou I think his name is, taps me on the shoulder and points out whats up.

"Take a look outside the classroom, but carefully." I take a quick peek, just in time to see Tohsaka pass by, glancing in with an odd expression on her face like she's looking for somthing... or someone. "She's been doing that for a few minutes now. I wonder who she's waiting for." Gotou chuckles, like it's a joke.

I stand up and watch for her, and as she passes again our eyes meet. She freezes, her face almost pleading. I guess she needs to talk to me. I make an up motion with my finger, signaling we can meet on the roof and she nods just a tad. She disappears, and the class turns as one to look at me as I gather my things and walk out.

I climb the stairs, making sure to check no one is following me before slipping through the door to the roof. Tohsaka is waiting there for me. She seems a bit restless, and won't look me in the eye. "Hey, you wanted to talk to me?" I ask.

She fidgets a bit, then motions for me to follow her. We walk together toward a secluded spot behind the water tower, where the cold wind can't reach us. She sits down and takes out her lunch. I'm a bit confused, but I follow suit. She doesn't have much with her. It looks like she ran for the cafeteria and just grabbed a few things.

I smile and hand her my thermos of tea, since she doesn't have anything to drink. She's blushing, but she takes it and has a sip. She's acting very suspicious, but she doesn't say anything so I keep quiet. We finish eating in a few minutes, and as I pack up my things I hear her speak.

"Um... Emiya-kun?" She murmurs, but where sitting so close I can hear it. She's watching me awkwardly, still refusing to meet my eyes. "...Um... I'm sorry about, you know... last night."

She looks up at me finally, her eyes apologetic. For a minute, I forget about the Tohsaka Rin that is a master. For a minute, I see her as just a regular school girl. I can't help but smile. I guess miracles _can _happen. "It's fine, I'm okay."

"I... used a command seal on him this morning, when I found out... I..." she looks downcast, her gaze dropping to the floor. Wait, what?!

"You... used a command seal?"

"I told him to not to attack you, for as long as we're working together." She says quietly.

"Tohsaka..." I don't know what to say. For her to do something so drastic, using a command seal just to... I'm speechless.

"It's... he's my responsibility, so I want to apologize. I'm sorry." She says, her expression even worse now. It's so very un-Tohsaka like, it almost worries me more than the fact that Archer attacked me in the first place.

"Hey, it's okay, really." I try to cheer her up a bit. I don't know why, but seeing her like this makes me feel bad. "He saved me first. If he hadn't been there, Caster would have done some pretty bad things to me and Saber. So they cancel each other out, right? No hard feelings?" I reach over a hand, as if to shake hers.

She smiles a little, her face perking up at my words. She takes my hand. "It... means alot to me, for you to say that. Thanks." She looks away to hide her blush. She's obviously not very good at showing her emotions, and she doesn't want me to see... but she isn't very good at hiding them either.

The bell rings, signalling the end of lunch period. I stand and walk a few steps toward the door. "Hey, come on. We'll miss class."

Tohsaka doesn't move, so I look back curiously. She just sits there, biting her bottom lip like she wants to say something but isn't sure how. I walk back to her to see if she is okay.

"Tohsaka?"

"...Keep me company for awhile. It's alright to skip just one class, right?"

Is this really Tohsaka Rin, of class 2-C? Her honor student image is being smashed away with everything she's doing today. But that hopeful look is just to cute on her. I smile and tell her I'll be right back.

When I return with two cans of hot coffee, she just smiles thankfully. It really is cold up here, but I don't mind. I sit back down next to her and we sip our coffee. We sit in silence as the bell rings again at the start of fifth period. Fuji-nee is gonna be mad at me tonight, but oh well.

"Tohsaka, I-"

"Rin." She interrupts.

"...huh?"

"Call me Rin. I don't mind." She smiles at me. My heart flutters a bit.

"...Rin. I was wondering... back when you tried explaining magic to me, you mentioned each family focuses in a specialty. What's yours?" I try to get her talking about something she knows. When she's explaining things, she really gets into it. I know she likes doing it, just from the way her eyes light up and how she moves her body as she talks.

She seems a bit taken aback that I would ask such a thing, but she stops and thinks a moment. "The Tohsaka family specialize in 'conversion' magic. Basically, the accumulation, flow, and transformation of power. We have an easier time storing power in objects, like gems and such, and can use lower quality gems than most magi." She says proudly. There it is, that spark.

I think about it, remembering the gems she carries with her.

"I've shown you this before, but this is my magic crest." She pushes down her left sleeve. "The technique of conversion is what's passed down the Tohsaka line. We're good at shifting our powers and other people's." I nod, and she continues. "Magical energy disperses whenever it leaves the body, right? We cannot create anything special with just energy. We execute the equation called 'magic' using the energy before it disperses. That's why 'pure' magical energy that isn't part of the spell is hard to move around."

She slips a small jewel out of her pocket and shows it to me. It looks like a kaleidoscope, the colors shimmering from within.

"So what we do is, using conversion, scoop up that excess power and store it in objects like this. Any object that can refract light will work, but gems can store the most magic compared to its size, and there is very little degradation. Crystals that have been in the earth for a long time tend to carry strong natural spirits, and can be easily turned into a simple 'magic crest' when energy is poured into them. Really, is there something on my face? You've been staring at it this entire time." She slips the jewel back into a pocket, locking at me oddly.

"Not a thing." I smile.

Instead of a comeback, or a snappy retort... She blushes.

"So, err... were you actually listening to a word I said?" She asks tentatively.

"You specialize in conversion, the process of manipulating and storing energy. Gems are best, but refraction is the only requirement for an object. And you think you have something on your face." I close my eyes and put on my biggest smile after I finish. Please don't hit me please don't hit me please don't hit me...

She dosn't hit me. I'm almost a bit put out.

"Well I guess your not _to _bad of a student, even if you _are _easily distracted." She has an evil smile on her face as she leans forward a bit, closing the space between us. At the last second before our lips meet, she pulls herself to her feet.

Yup, there's the Tohsaka I know.

"Oh, Mayami... I can call you Mayami, right?" I nod. "You know Shinji is a master, right?"

"How did you find out?" I stand as well. I completely forgot to tell Rin about what happened the other day.

"He came to talk to me this morning. Anyway, keep an eye on him. He's not the only master at our school, but he's a master none the less." She says, as if he's just a nuisance.

"He came to talk to you this morning?" I thought Shinji wanted Rin dead. Something isn't right.

"Yeah, wanted to make a truce. Said you were a problem, and that we should work to get rid of you." She smirks at me. "I gave him a bloody nose. Told him I don't need anyone like him because I have you on my side." Her face slides into a genuine grin.

"Hmm... he made the same offer to me yesterday. I forgot about it, with the mess last night was. It sounds like he's trying to turn us against each other, which doesn't sound all that unlike him. I'm glad you picked me over him." I smile back. "We shouldn't just ignore him, though. He's the one who set up the boundary field around school."

Tohsaka's face pales. She didn't know that?

Suddenly, as if it was timed just for this, I feel a sort of... pull, deep within me. The sky seems to glow a hazy red as the field activates, a blood red done forming around the school. Breathing in the air makes me feel like I'm going numb and my blood is running cold.

"Rin!" I gasp out.

"I know, hurry!" It doesn't seem to be affecting her as much, I note as we run toward the exit. I remember Rin saying something about the field yesterday, about how when activated it will drain the life out of everyone until they are nothing but husks, and that magi would be able to resist it because their circuits prevent such tampering.

We run for the third floor. Going by the classes, everyone looks unconscious. Some are convulsing on the floor. Some are foaming at the mouth. We have to stop this before they die.

Before everyone ends up like Ayako.

That thought is like pouring coolant on my overheating body, and I force myself to go faster. He has to be here somewhere.

"Saber!" I scream, and my seals flash, leaving only one left. I see her flash into existence alongside us, armored in silver and blade at the ready. I don't even stop. "Find Shinji! we have to stop the field!"

"This way!" Saber calls, and we turn down another hall.

"What the-" I hear Saber exclaim, and suddenly what look like blue skeletons with no skulls launch at us from the open doorways.

"Golems! They're a weak kind of familiar. No matter how many hundreds of them there are, Saber can handle them fine." Rin shouts.

"She is right, master. I'll hold them here and find the servant responsible. You must stop the master." Saber confirms and begins hacking the creatures to pieces. Rin grabs my hand and we run for the stairs.

"The source of the field is on the first floor. Come on!"

Together we vault down the steps. As we turn the corner, a golem rushes at us, waving a roughly sharpened piece of stone like a sword. Rin snaps her fingers on her left hand, and the creature explodes in a _whoosh _of flame.

I grab the rock-sword and we continue down again. More golems. Rin points her fingers like a gun and starts firing gandr shots, while I swing away at them. Surprisingly, they shatter and fall if I put a decent amount of force into my blows. They're not very sturdy.

Storming down the final set of stairs, we turn and tear off towards the center hallway. Behind us a few shambling creatures who followed us down the stairs start running toward is.

"That classroom, there!"

We slam through the door, running in. Rin drops the jewel from earlier behind us and pulls the door shut. I hear a dull explosion. That takes care of them. We run back out and Rin leads the way toward a classroom in the center of the floor.

If I thought the ones upstairs were bad, this place is hell. My stomach churns as I hear the moans of pain, some of the students' skin is melting off. The very air in here is dyed red. In the center of it all, sits a very terrified looking Shinji.

Rin screams in rage and charges at him.

"No! Nonono! Not me! It's not me! I didn't! Not me! Didn't... No!" He scrambles away from the body in the center of the room, and suddenly tears well up in my eyes. No. It can't be. I run to the fallen servant, the goddess with the lavender hair. Her blood is pooling around her, her wounds clearly fatal. She weakly tries to push herself up, but can't even manage to move her arms.

"Not... strong enough... can't stop the..." She coughs up blood. "Caster... using the field..."

No. She can't die. We didn't get to play. We never got to finish our game. I hear the magus-girl next to me gasp and back away. I don't care. I brush my long lavender hair out of my way and kneel down by my goddess.

"You can't go..." I reach out for her dagger and grip it tightly. "You can't leave me here with no one to play with..."

The woman smiles softly up at me. She's almost gone now. I won't let her go. I run the dagger along my wrist and let the sweet blood flow. I press it against her mouth, making her drink. She has to get up. Can't lose her.

It takes a few minutes, but I can see her wounds start to close. My head swims a bit from blood loss, I realize I must have slit a major artery. I feel her tongue run across the wound and I shiver. The wound closes itself, and I fall back.

I rub at my eyes. I don't feel so good anymore. Dizzy, like I spun around to much.

"Mayami? Are you alright?" a voice calls to me. A familiar voice. I like her voice. It's pretty. I open my eyes to look up at her.

"No!" my goddess rushes forward to put a hand over my eyes. For just a split second, I see the magus-girl standing there, her body stiffening. Then the darkness covers my sight once more. I sigh happily and lean into the hand. She feels warm, much better now.

"Mayami, listen to me. You have to keep your eyes closed. Just for a little bit okay?" The magus-girl's voice is shakey. I don't know why she doesn't want me to see, but it isn't a big deal. I can 'see' just fine in the darkness. I nod at her, and I feel my goddess' hand slide away.

I jump up and run at the boy in the corner. He stinks of fear. I don't like him. He has something I want, though... something that belongs to us. I strike him in the throat with the side of my hand so he can't speak, then search his pockets.

"Found it!" I sing, holding up the little book. I hug it to my chest. It's a piece of us. "Can you make the red go away now?" I turn and ask.

The tingly air goes away. My skin shivers and I'm glad. I hear a crash from a few floors up. Don't think the magus-girl did, but my goddess nods at me. She throws me a fang, and together we break out the window and climb the building. I can taste a storm coming.

We push back in onto the fourth floor and run towards the sounds of battle. A sword-lady I recognize is fighting back bone monsters, trying to get close to the witch at the end of the hall. The witch throws fire again and again, burning even her own bones. Sword-lady seems surprised to see us, but we dive in and help. It doesn't take long to clear a path, bones flying left and right as we slash our way through. They don't bleed. No fun.

Witch is angry. "I thought I killed you?!" she shrieks.

I laugh, our fangs flying toward the witch followed by a ghost-sword. We bite deep, we three. Blood, blood everywhere. Not sweet blood, but icky blood. Black blood. Fake blood.

Not-Witch screams and vanishes. I can taste her magic flowing back to the mountain. Oh well.

"M-master?" Sword-lady is talking to me. I wave. Seems like the appropriate thing to do. She doesn't wave back. Was I bad? Magus-girl is coming too, breathing heavy air as she runs up the stairs. The boy isn't far behind.

"Mayami, listen to me," my goddess murmurs as she kneels in front of me. She's tall. Even kneeling she's almost as tall as I am.

"Can I open my eyes now?" I ask. I know she has to go soon, and I want to see her.

She laughs, but shakes her head. "You have to promise me something, alright? Promise me you will only use these eyes to look at me." she runs a hand softly over my closed eyes. "Can you do that for me?"

I understand. My eyes do something bad when I'm like this, like goddess. She doesn't want me to hurt Someone with them. I nod, and she hugs me before standing.

"Master, please step away from that servant." Sword-lady is angry. She doesn't like my goddess. Magus-girl is standing by sword-lady, and the boy behind them.

I bite my lip. What to do... I turn to my goddess and pull out the book. I push it into her hand. She sounds surprised. "It's yours, so I can't keep it, no no. You can keep it and be your own master. Or give it to someone else. Up to you."

With that I give her a quick hug, and walk back to stand by sword-lady.

"Rider, lets go. Now." the boy says, trying to be strong. He isn't. Goddess smiles and walks away. "Rider?!" He sounds desperate, angry. Afraid.

"Run along, little boy... before I decide you don't deserve to live." She says without looking back. The boy soils himself.

I laugh, leaning against sword-lady. "Just need to... rest, just a few... *yawn*... minutes. Wake me when the rain comes." I whisper, then softly fall into a dream.


End file.
